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 physiotherapy practice in New Zealand, which supports professional, legal, ethical, evidence-based, and culturally safe practice.
Students will understand the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and be able to apply Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the practice of physiotherapy. Students 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 Māori and Pacific people in NZ. Students will develop 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 and worldviews.
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 enhance reflective practice skills and provide a framework for critical analysis of students' assumptions, communication approaches and clinical practice. There will be a strong focus on interprofessional practice, teamwork, safe and effective care for patients from diverse communities, effective communication, and critical consciousness to promote quality and equity in healthcare delivery.
Students will develop values and tikanga for the cohort that will be used, refined and implemented over the duration of the MPhysioPrac programme.