Frequently asked questions

  • I have forgotten my SONIA login, what can I do?

    There is one generic username and password for each site.  In the first instance, we suggest that you speak with a colleague/supervisor, to see if they have the log-in details.  If they don’t, please email the University of Melbourne Clinical Placements Officer at aud-clinplacements@unimelb.edu.au who will be able to look up your User ID and reset your password.

  • How do I correct an incorrect timesheet in SONIA?

    Timesheets may require resubmission if the number of hours is recorded incorrectly, or if your name as clinical educator is not recorded. We suggest you and the student complete the timesheet together at the end of the clinical day, to minimise errors. If you detect an error after the student has left, please mark the timesheet as Resubmit and advise the student (by email) of what needs to be changed before you can approve the timesheet.

    It is very important that you ensure your full name is recorded in the comments section of the timesheet you are approving. If there is an error in your name, your supervision hours for CPD purposes with Audiology Australia may not be successfully recorded.

  • How are my supervision hours recorded with Audiology Australia?

    Your supervision hours are logged in Sonia when you Approve a student’s Timesheet. Reports are run approximately every quarter and your hours are sent in a batch with others to Audiology Australia.

    If you feel you are missing hours, you can email the University of Melbourne Clinical Placements Officer at aud-clinplacements@unimelb.edu.au who will investigate and correct the records.  One  problem that occurs occasionally is that the student has not recorded your clinical educator name in the Comments field or has put in the wrong name.  Therefore, it is recommended that you always check this field and, if the information is blank or incorrect, that you mark the timesheet as Resubmit and advise the student of what is required before you can approve their timesheet.

  • What do I do if I am worried about a student?

    We support a proactive approach to student support and development. Please reach out to our academic contact if you have any concerns about a student, no matter what these concerns are.

    All our students are also aware of Stop 1. This is where University of Melbourne students can find information about and gain access to Academic skills services and Student support services. You may also be able to direct students to this resource.

  • My student is mentioning a “SCER”. What is that?

    The Student Clinical Experience Record (SCER) is a student-completed document, designed to scaffold clinical development goals and skills progression. This document is a key support for our second-year students in particular, as they develop their professional skills and embark on their life-long learning and reflective practice within our profession. Students should attend placement with learning goals, these will be documented on the SCER and you are welcome to view them. Any verbal feedback you provide across the placement should be recorded by the student on their SCER to aid their development.

  • I was expecting a student but they haven’t arrived, what should I do?

    Sorry about this. Please consider the following:

    • There may have been some confusion at either end. Please log in to Sonia and check whether the student is still scheduled, or if there has been a schedule change. For help with Sonia, please click here.
    • Our students should contact your clinic if they are unable to attend at short notice. Please let us know if this has not occurred and we can follow up.
  • I wasn’t expecting a student, but they have arrived, what should I do?

    Whoops, sorry about this. Please check in Sonia to see if there has been a schedule change you were unaware of.

    • If they are scheduled with you today, and you can accommodate them, we appreciate your flexibility!
    • If they are not scheduled with you today, but you have flexibility to have them in your clinic anyway, thank you for hosting them. Just contact us to let us know what has happened.
    • If you cannot accommodate the student today that is ok, please explain to the student there has been an error and contact us to let us know what has happened.
  • How do I record student hours accurately (direct vs indirect vs professional activities)?

    At the end of each day of placement our students should discuss with you the breakdown of hours they will record in Sonia. As a reminder, hours must be classified as either:

    Certain activities cannot be included as clinical experience hours.

  • Our external clinic operates unique protocols, how does the student operate in that space?

    Details like this should form part of your initial discussions with the student, where you establish goals and expectations. Feel free to contact the student prior to the placement to share these protocols if you wish.

  • Why do you teach students to perform certain tasks in certain ways?

    The processes and procedures we teach change over time and may differ to when and where you were trained. If you would like some clarification on any element of our teaching that is impacting placements, please contact our academic contact and we will be happy to discuss this with you.

  • I have concerns about a student that I would like to raise (formally or informally). What should I do?

    We appreciate your concern, without us knowing about them we are not able to support the student on these matters. If you feel comfortable, please raise your concerns with the student at the time.  Alternatively, if you prefer, please reach out to our academic contact if you have any concerns about a student, no matter what these concerns are. We can then contact you for further discussion if needed.

If we were not able to address your concerns, please feel free to raise your questions here and one of our team members will get in touch with you shortly.

Submit your question

Direct activities

Direct client/patient contact is defined as activities performed by the student, under supervision and in a clinical setting, that:

  • Directly involve the client/patient, and
  • Directly contribute to the management and/or outcomes of that client/patient.

Direct contact examples include the student:

  • taking a case history (this could also be taken from the client/patient’s caregiver or significant other);
  • preparing the client/patient and/or the audiological equipment for testing. For example, instructing the client/patient on a test protocol, programming the client/patient’s NOAH file and hearing aid, or placing electrodes on the client/patient;
  • performing audiological assessments;
  • interacting with the client/patient and/or the clinical educator in a manner that directly contributes to the obtaining of reliable test results. For example, performing paediatric VRA/VROA distraction, performing alerting tasks during vestibular assessment, identifying evoked potential waveforms during acquisition, real-time troubleshooting of audiological equipment and/or procedures, etc;
  • analysing, integrating, and interpreting audiological test results;
  • providing feedback on audiological test results (this could be provided to the client/patient’s caregiver or significant other);
  • providing audiological counselling (this could be provided to the client/patient’s caregiver or significant other); and
  • teaching the client/patient how to use a hearing aid/ALD etc (this could be provided to the client/patient’s caregiver or significant other)
Man holding a hearing aid

Indirect activities

Indirect client/patient contact is defined as activities performed by the student, under supervision and in a clinical setting, that:

  • Do not directly involve the client/patient, but directly contribute to the management and/or outcomes of that client/patient

Indirect contact examples include the student:

  • preparing, reviewing or maintaining the client/patient’s case file;
  • critically discussing the client/patient’s case file with the clinical educator;
  • writing the client/patient’s audiological report when the student was directly involved in the assessment of that client/patient;
  • completing the order forms for the client/patient’s hearing aids, ALDs etc;
  • directly interacting with associated professionals during the management of the client/patient (e.g. general practitioners, otologists, oto-neurologists, paediatricians, speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, etc); and
  • directly assessing and managing simulated clients/patients (e.g. standardised patients/clients and/or computer-based simulations of patients/clients) where these simulations have been deemed acceptable by the university programs
Two women at a consultation

Professional activities

Professional activities are defined as activities performed by the student, under supervision and in a professional setting, that:

  • Do not directly involve a client/patient; but
  • Improve the student’s ability to contribute to the management and/or outcomes of clients/patients, and/or;
  • Contribute to the profession of audiology.

Professional activities examples include the student:

  • critically discussing with his or her clinical educator the literature that directly affects the management of the student’s client/patient (especially with regards to evidenced based practice);
  • writing a client/patient’s audiological report when the student was not directly involved in the assessment of that client/patient (note: this would only occur at the request of the clinical educator, and the final report for the client/patient would be written by that clinical educator);
  • providing professional education to the community and/or other professionals about clinical audiology (e.g. presenting a workshop to medical doctors on how to interpret an audiological report);
  • directly interacting with his or her clinical educator to set the learning goals prior to the clinical placement and to receive performance feedback after the clinical placement;
  • completing OH&S procedures, e.g. undergoing a clinic’s OHS induction and performing elements of that induction such as infection control; and
  • performing biological calibrations of audiological equipment prior to a clinical session

Clinical experience

Clinical experience hours cannot be obtained by:

  • Passively observing any activity
  • Participating in non-audiological discussions with a clinical educator and/or client/patient
  • Attending staff meetings
  • Taking allocated breaks

Back

Need Help?

For Placement queries:
Cindy Haidar
Clinical Placements officer
e: aud-clinplacements@unimelb.edu.au		 For Academic queries:
Dani Tomlin
Associate Professor
e: dtomlin@unimelb.edu.au