Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Practicum 1

Practicum 1
7
12153
1
Annual
PR
Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: Catalan

Teaching staff


The student will be attended to by appointment with the academic tutor or the internship coordinator.

Coordinator: Dr. Marta Amor (mamor@uic.es)

Academic Tutors: Dr. Marta Amor (mamor@uic.es); Mrs. Laura Ares Brage (laura_aresb@uic.es)

Introduction

Supervised internships provide insight into the practical application of theoretical content. Understanding the various pathologies experienced by children and their families helps physiotherapists learn about the individuality they encounter during their practice. This means that the therapeutic approach must be adapted to the child's needs and the family's capabilities.

It is an opportunity to learn and develop skills in implementing different therapeutic strategies, interact with children in pursuit of therapeutic goals under the supervision of the internship tutor, and critically analyze the student’s own intervention.

Pre-course requirements

They are not established.

Objectives

  1. Acquire the knowledge, skills, techniques, and procedures necessary for achieving the best results in physiotherapeutic interventions for children, as used in various internship centers.
  2. Understand different strategies and intervention approaches in pediatric physiotherapy across different settings, such as early intervention centers, special education schools, and pediatric hospitals.
  3. Gain insight into other professional competencies that can contribute to better physiotherapeutic outcomes.
  4. Develop strategies for assessing and treating various pathologies while scientifically evaluating the potential of alternative therapeutic activities.
  5. Learn about different neurological, musculoskeletal, and/or respiratory pathologies, identify possible associated disorders, and determine the most appropriate therapeutic approach for each child.
  6. Master social skills necessary to promote children's neuromotor development in care centers and foster collaboration with families and multidisciplinary teams.
  7. Acquire the ability to compile children's medical histories and develop therapeutic plans with the guidance of the internship tutor.
  8. Develop clinical reasoning when making therapeutic decisions and interpreting children's responses during therapy.
  9. Learn to communicate the therapeutic plan effectively with the multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary team to coordinate therapeutic objectives.
  10. Understand families' competencies in managing the proposed therapeutic goals.
  11. Gain proficiency in designing postural aids used in various internship centers.

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

Basic and General Competencies
  • CB7 - Students should be able to apply acquired knowledge and problem-solving skills in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
  • CB8 - Students should be capable of integrating knowledge and addressing the complexity of making judgments based on incomplete or limited information, including reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities related to applying their knowledge and judgments.
  • CB9 - Students should be able to communicate their conclusions, as well as the knowledge and reasoning behind them, clearly and unambiguously to both specialized and non-specialized audiences.
  • CB10 - Students should possess the learning skills necessary to continue studying in a largely self-directed or autonomous manner.
  • CG1 - Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team while also being autonomous and proactive in resolving conflicts or problems between different professional perspectives.
  • CG2 - Execute professional practice based on humanistic principles and respect for human dignity.
  • CG3 - Act with fairness, ensuring equal opportunities and universal access for children requiring physiotherapy care, promoting respect for human rights, and facilitating social and sustainable coexistence.
  • CG4 - Ability to plan and manage time and activities efficiently to ensure effective organization and optimal adaptability to unforeseen circumstances.
Transversal Competencies
  • CT1 - Ensure confidentiality in interventions and patient documentation management, complying with ethical, legal, and technical aspects.
  • CT2 - Demonstrate communication skills in interpersonal relationships that enhance the child's physical development, family participation, and multidisciplinary team collaboration.
  • CT3 - Communicate both orally and in writing using correct scientific terminology in each specialization of physiotherapy and health sciences, in both national and international contexts.
  • CT4 - Use information and communication technologies effectively to ensure continuous professional development and evidence-based practice.
  • CT5 - Manage information optimally to transform it into applicable knowledge for professional practice, whether in child care or family support.
  • CT6 - Identify the regulations and organization of healthcare, social service, and/or educational systems that govern the institution where one works, adapting professional practice to these norms while also planning proposals for quality improvement in the healthcare system.
Specific Competencies
  • CE1 - Apply knowledge about the body's response to external and internal stimuli, understanding how these become harmful mechanisms, responses, and/or repair processes.
  • CE3 - Design, plan, and implement the most efficient pediatric physiotherapy intervention; monitor and evaluate responses using scientific evidence.
  • CE4 - Develop manual skills in applying various physiotherapy strategies for children.
  • CE5 - Direct, coordinate, and execute the Physiotherapy Intervention Plan based on the principle of user individuality, utilizing the specific therapeutic tools of Pediatric Physiotherapy.
  • CE6 - Redesign and adapt physiotherapy treatment by analyzing the evolution of results obtained from therapy concerning established objectives and outcome criteria.
  • CE7 - Stay updated and expand knowledge on child development, learning, and motor control, as well as pathologies, diagnostic processes, and therapeutic strategies presented by the scientific community.
  • CE8 - Defend pediatric physiotherapy interventions with clear, precise, and context-appropriate arguments and justifications while valuing the contributions of others.

Learning outcomes of the subject

The student:

  • Applies physiotherapeutic assessment procedures.
  • Demonstrates the ability to properly complete a medical history, including a physical examination.
  • Determines the objectives of the therapeutic intervention.
  • Selects the most appropriate intervention strategies to achieve the objectives.
  • Executes intervention strategies with skill and proficiency.
  • Demonstrates communication skills in interpersonal relationships.
  • Critically analyzes their own intervention by comparing the expected evolution parameters with the actual progress.

Syllabus

105 hours of pediatric physiotherapy internships in centers specialized in the discipline.

Teaching and learning activities

In person



Teaching Methodology

  • MC - Case method
  • AC - Cooperative learning
  • CA - Learning contract

Training Activities

ActivityHoursIn-person (% )
PE - External internships 70 100%
AAP - Self-directed learning activities 35 0%
EI - Independent study 70 0%

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person



The practical nature of the course requires a minimum attendance of 80% in order to pass. Both the center and the student are responsible for recording attendance through a document that the student will have available in the Moodle platform for the course. If the student does not reach the minimum 80% attendance, the course will be marked as Not Passed. The internship hours can be completed throughout the academic year, within the periods established by the course internship coordination at the beginning of the term.

The student will be monitored by an academic tutor from the university. The student must communicate all information regarding the internship schedules and periods to the tutor via email once the schedules and periods with the assigned center have been confirmed. It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure that all documentation available on the Moodle platform is signed and completed. The internship cannot begin unless the student has communicated the schedules and periods to the academic tutor and submitted all completed documentation via Moodle, within a maximum of one week. The internship can only begin without notifying the end date in exceptional cases, and always with the academic tutor’s approval, where the centers themselves cannot provide an exact end date. In such cases, the deadline for submitting the internship report will be set by the academic tutor.

The evaluation of the external clinical internships is carried out using a rubric completed by the clinical tutor at the center where the student is completing the internship, assessing the specific clinical competence of the student. The grade given by the clinical tutor will account for 60% of the final grade, provided it is above 5.0.

Additionally, the student will write a report about the internships carried out at the center. This report will provide detailed information about a clinical case, gathered from the various sessions the student has participated in at the center. The student can find a guide for preparing the report on the Moodle platform. The grade for the report will account for 40% of the final grade, provided it is above 5.0. The report must be submitted via Moodle within 15 days after the completion of the internship hours at the assigned center. The academic tutor will inform the student of the submission deadline via email, in response to the student's email with the internship schedules and periods. Reports submitted after the agreed deadline between the academic tutor and the student, or submitted via a different method than Moodle, will be considered as Not Submitted.

The final evaluation will therefore be the average between the clinical tutor’s grade and the internship report grade, representing 60% and 40% respectively. In order to calculate the average, both grades must be equal to or greater than 5.0. If either grade is below 5.0, the student must retake the unsatisfactory part in the second call. If the student fails the second call, they will need to repeat the entire course in a new enrollment, with no grades carried over, whether passed or failed.

Bibliography and resources

 

Links of interest related to pediatric physiotherapy and disability.

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