Students will develop a research and evidence-informed understanding of the principles underpinning the regulation and practice of physiotherapy in Aotearoa New Zealand. Students will apply specialist knowledge about the regulation of the practice of physiotherapy in New Zealand supporting professional, legal, ethical, evidence-based and culturally safe practice. Students will understand the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and be able to apply the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the practice of physiotherapy. They will learn the concepts of whakapapa, whānau, whakawhānaungatana, mana, mauri, tapu, wairua and reo and how they shape the healthcare experience of Māori. Small group discussions and case scenarios will be used to identify areas of inequity in healthcare access and health outcomes for underserved communities, rural communities, disabled peoples, Māori, and Pacific people in NZ. They will develop their own critical consciousness at a personal, professional and organisational/ structural level and critique how these can be addressed to improve health equity. Māori models of health and the role of physiotherapy in Māori healthcare services will be explored alongside Pacific models of health, such as the Fonofale model.
Students will develop a range of skills to enable whānau-centred care, effective goal setting, client education and appropriate communication with peers and other health professionals. The interdisciplinary nature of healthcare and physiotherapy will be discussed and the physiotherapists’ roles and responsibilities in the health care team will be explored. Evidence-based reflective practice tools will be used to enhance the students’ reflective practice skills and provide a framework for critical analysis of their own assumptions, communication approaches and clinical practice. There will be a strong focus on health equity, interprofessional practice, teamwork, developing safe and effective care for patients from diverse communities, effective communication, and developing a critical consciousness to promote equity in healthcare delivery.