During placement

Clinical setting and practice

First year students: During the first year, students are introduced to the clinical setting through up to 200 hours of observational placement activities. These include at least 5 days of direct observation of clinical practice. Other placement activities include hospital-based group supervision, specialist clinical meetings, and weekly case conference at the University.

Second year students: During the second year (for Master students) and subsequent years (for Master/PhD students), students participate in a number of placements, totaling a minimum of 720 hours (96 days) across 48 weeks, covering a range of contexts including acute neurology, paediatrics, psychiatry, psychogeriatrics, neurosurgery, and rehabilitation. They also participate in weekly case conference at the University for up to 48 hours per year. At this level, students begin, under close supervision, the practice of “real-life” clinical neuropsychology, which includes all aspects of neuropsychological evaluation and management.

Attendance of placements

First year students: Attendance at hospital-based group supervision and clinical meetings is organised by the Placement Coordinator at the beginning of each calendar year, in consultation with clinical staff at participating sites.

Second year students: It is the student’s responsibility to contact supervisors to organise specific placement details. This should ideally occur approximately two weeks prior to commencement of the placement. At that time, supervisors may instruct students regarding preparation for placement. For example, providing lists of tests with which the student is expected to be familiar and/or reference lists relevant to placement.

Learning goals

Students and supervisors at each placement may focus on a subset of the above learning goals and competencies dependent upon the student’s individual strengths and weaknesses and the nature of the clinical setting. For example, a student may request specific supervision with respect to test interpretation. Alternatively, supervisors may identify a unique goal that is in keeping with the specialist role of the clinical centre.

Second year students: goals should be clearly delineated and documented at commencement of placement and reviewed/modified at mid-placement evaluation.

Record keeping

Students are required to maintain detailed records of all placement experiences via weekly Logbook forms completed electronically through the Sonia system. The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) requires that supervisors regularly endorse, by signed notation, that the students’ placement records are a true reflection of the placement activities undertaken. In particular, Logbook entries are required to be checked and endorsed by supervisors every 30 hours of placement or fortnightly, whichever occurs first.

In particular, Logbook entries and Case Records are required to be checked and endorsed by the supervisor every 30 hours of placement or fortnightly, whichever occurs first

Standard requirements

• Supervisors can expect students attending placement to behave in a professional, ethical, and responsible manner (e.g., acceptable dress, punctuality, confidentiality, and courtesy).
• It is up to the student and his/her respective supervisor to negotiate specific placement days, timetables, and other practical details associated with the placement.

Clinical test requirements

First year students will become familiar with basic psychological and neuropsychological test procedures over the course of the year through test workshops, including the WAIS-IV, WMS-IV, WISC-IV, RCFT, RAVLT, verbal fluency measures, TMT, and so forth.

Second year students are expected to be familiar with the basic psychological and neuropsychological test procedures including the WTAR, TOPF, WAIS-IV, WISC-IV, WMS-IV, RCFT, RAVLT, verbal fluency measures, TMT, and so forth.

Supervisors should inform students if it would be helpful to become familiar with other test procedures commonly used in their clinical centre. Unless other arrangements have been made, it is expected that placement agencies will provide test equipment and test forms for student use.

Registration and checks

Students are required to maintain provisional registration with AHPRA, obtain annual police checks, maintain a current Working with Children Check, and comply with the university’s comprehensive immunisation requirements.

Students are also expected to be familiar with the Psychology Board of Australia endorsed Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics and relevant supplements, including the APS Guidelines for psychological assessment and the use of psychological tests.

Suspension of placement

One of the aims of placement is to provide the student, as well as the supervisor, with continuity of experience within the clinical setting. Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, this continuity may be disrupted leading to uncertainty. The consequences of this may impact on the quality of service provided to the patient, the resources required of the supervisor, and the student’s ability to fulfill placement requirements in a timely manner. To this end, in the event of health-related problems of the supervisor or student, if it becomes apparent that either

- the supervisor will be absent (and cannot appoint a replacement) for more than two weeks or

- the student will be unable to attend placement for more than two weeks  

the placement will be suspended and an alternative sought as available.