College of Healthcare Sciences Student Resources Practice Education
Practice Education
- Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Marine Science
- Courses
- Future Students
- Current Students
- Research and Teaching
- Partners and Community
- About JCU
- Reputation and Experience
- Celebrating 50 Years
- Academy
- Anthropological Laboratory for Tropical Audiovisual Research (ALTAR)
- Anton Breinl Research Centre
- Agriculture Technology and Adoption Centre
- Living on Campus
- Advanced Analytical Centre
- Applying to JCU
- Alumni
- AMHHEC
- JCU Aquaculture Solutions
- AusAsian Mental Health Research Group
- ARCSTA
- Area 61
- Association of Australian University Secretaries
- Australian/NZ Students
- Australian Lions Stinger Research
- Australian Tropical Herbarium
- Australian Quantum & Classical Transport Physics Group
- Boating and Diving
- JCU-CSIRO Partnership
- Employability Edge
- Career Ready Plan
- CASE
- Careers at JCU
- Careers and Employability
- Chancellery
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
- CITBA
- CMT
- College of Business, Law and Governance
- College of Healthcare Sciences
- WHOCC for N&M Education and Research
- College of Medicine and Dentistry
- College of Science and Engineering
- CPHMVS
- Centre for Disaster Solutions
- CSTFA
- Cyber Security Hub
- Cyclone Testing Station
- The Centre for Disaster Studies
- Daintree Rainforest Observatory
- Discover Nature at JCU
- Research Division
- Services and Resources Division
- Education Division
- Economic Geology Research Centre
- Elite Athletes
- eResearch
- Environmental Research Complex [ERC]
- Estate
- Fletcherview
- Foundation for Australian Literary Studies
- Gender Equity Action and Research
- General Practice and Rural Medicine
- GetReady4Uni
- Give to JCU
- Governance
- Information for JCU Cairns Graduates
- Art of Academic Writing
- Art of Academic Editing
- Graduate Research School
- Graduation
- Indigenous Education and Research Centre
- Indigenous Engagement
- Indigenous Legal Needs Project
- Inherent Requirements
- IsoTropics Geochemistry Lab
- IT Services
- International Schools
- International Students
- Research and Innovation Services
- JCU Eduquarium
- JCU Events
- JCU Global Experience
- JCU Ideas Lab
- JCU Job Ready
- JCU Motorsports
- JCU Prizes
- JCU Sport
- JCU Turtle Health Research
- Language and Culture Research Centre
- CEE
- LearnJCU
- Library
- Mabo Decision: 30 years on
- MARF
- Marine Geophysics Laboratory
- New students
- Off-Campus Students
- Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
- Virtual Open Day
- Orpheus
- Outstanding Alumni
- Parents and Partners
- Pathways to university
- Planning for your future
- Placements
- Policy
- PAHL
- Publications
- Professional Experience Placement
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Rapid Assessment Unit
- RDIM
- Researcher Development Portal
- Safety and Wellbeing
- Scholarships
- Contextual Science for Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
- Staff
- State of the Tropics
- Strategic Procurement
- Student Equity and Wellbeing
- Student profiles
- SWIRLnet
- TARL
- TESS
- TREAD
- TropEco for Staff and Students
- TQ Maths Hub
- TUDLab
- Unicare Centre and Unicampus Kids
- UAV
- VAVS Home
- Work Health and Safety
- WHOCC for Vector-borne & NTDs
- Media
- Copyright and Terms of Use
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
- Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab
General Overview
Practice Education is an essential component of the undergraduate program, and provides opportunities for the integration of theory and practice, necessary for graduation and registration as an Occupational Therapist. Within the complexity of the placement setting, students can develop the competencies required for professional practice such as professional communication, self-management and the effective application of occupational therapy interventions with clients. In working with clients, students begin to develop professional reasoning skills and self-reflective practice. Throughout undergraduate training in Occupational Therapy, students are required to complete 1000 hours of practice education, to meet graduation requirements and accreditation standards with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.
Range of Experiences
Our aim at James Cook University (JCU) is to provide students with a wide range of practice experiences to prepare them for the diversity of professional roles in the community. Placements occur in a range of facilities and organisations including Queensland Health, Education Queensland, Department of Communities, Department of Human Services, other government agencies, and various non-government and private organisations. We use a range of innovative placement models and supervision structures to ensure students and supervising clinicians both gain valuable experiences in practice education within resources available.
Structure of Practice Education at JCU
Throughout the first two and a half years of the course, students participate in a variety of community placements as part of their assessment requirements for particular subjects during regular study periods. Half way through the second year of the OT course, students complete their first block placement – full-time, for one week with an Occupational Therapist in a ‘real life’ setting. This experience enables students to observe and participate in occupational therapy practice, apply and integrate knowledge gained from the first year and a half of learning, and practise professional skills and behaviours, all under the supervision of a qualified Occupational Therapist. Students are required to be available during the semester break in June/ July to complete this placement, usually in their preferred geographical location.
In the third and fourth years of the OT course, all JCU OT students are required to complete at least three block placements from seven to ten weeks duration. At least one of these placements should be in a rural or remote geographical location and at least one placement in a mental health or psychosocial setting. Placements may be located away from Townsville and may involve travel and additional accommodation and living expenses, which are the responsibility and at the expense of the student. The northern region of Queensland is prioritised for placement locations. However, we endeavour to assist by allocating students to their preferred regions where possible, allocating offers early and following up requests for accommodation.
International Opportunities
Placement opportunities are diverse and enable some students to gain experience overseas. Previous students have travelled to Vietnam, China, Nepal, Tonga, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America and South Africa, to complete long block placements in their third or fourth year of study.
Practice Education Preparation
Students have a responsibility to ensure they are prepared and complete a number of mandatory Pre-Placement requirements such as vaccinations/ proof of immunity to diseases, First Aid/ CPR training, Working with Children application (Blue Card), Australian Federal Police Check and Queensland Health Orientation. Other requirements may be requested by some organisations, and students will be notified when these are required as they are allocated their placement, and the procedure to follow.