Conduct and Expectations
Knowing what is required of you during your professional experience placement will enable you to make the most of the experience.
As a JCU professional health student you are expected to maintain a high degree of professionalism and approach your work safely and responsibly at all times.
If you experience any difficulties whilst on placement, please contact your placement coordinator to find out about the many avenues of support and assistance available to you through JCU.
Guide to professional conduct during placement
As a JCU student you are required to read the Professional Experience Placement Procedures for students studying a health degree that has placement.
You are also required to read the Procedure for Infectious Disease for students studying a health degree that has placement.
After reading these documents you must sign the Student Declaration, which confirms you have read and understood the contents of both procedures, and return the signed document to the Professional Experience Placement Unit.
The following JCU policies apply to all students. As a JCU student it is your responsibility to read and adhere to these policies at all times:
Students must attend and participate in professional experience placements as arranged by the University.
Students must notify the University if they are not able to attend placement due to illness, injury or extenuating circumstances as soon as possible. This is to ensure that the University can implement supportive measures to assist the student and liaise with the host organisation regarding the continuation or rescheduling of the placement.
Students must wear clinical ID name badges and, if required, year level badges, at all times while on professional experience placement.
Students must uphold high standards of professional behaviour and presentation, including dress, at all times whilst on professional experience placement.
Students must take into account the JCU Student Code of Conduct Policy and the code of practice for the profession in which they will eventually practise.
Students must always follow the rules and regulation of the facility in which they are placed. This includes ensuring that the privacy of the organisation, its staff and patients/clients is always respected.
All students must abide by the JCU Student Code of Conduct Policy, the code of practice for the profession in which they will eventually practise, and the relevant Health Service / Industry Organisation Code of Conduct whilst on Professional Experience Placement.
When using social media, all students should post only information that is not in breach of their National Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and/or ensure that they comply with the confidentiality and privacy obligations of JCU and the placement facility. These obligations might include the following:
- Make sure you do not discuss patients, clients, sensitive material or case studies that might identify the people involved.
- Do not post pictures of patients, clients or procedures that might identify the people involved.
- Any information you do post must be accompanied by the appropriate consent, and be presented in an unbiased, evidence-based context.
- Do not make any unsubstantiated claims.
For further advice, please visit the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website.
All students must comply with the Procedure for Infectious Diseases for Healthcare students
Students must adhere to infection control practices including standard precautions in accordance with facility policies and procedures. Students must wear any prescribed personal protective equipment as recommended by each facility.
Students should also be aware of who to contact in the placement facility (e.g. placement supervisor, infection control advisor, education coordinator) for advice concerning the management of an occupational exposure, such as a needle stick injury or body fluid or biohazard exposure. All incidents must be reported to the discipline placement coordinator.
Students must not engage in conduct or behaviour that could be reasonably interpreted as harassment, discriminatory, offensive or embarrassing to others. This includes all behaviours that may cause injury to others.
A student who believes that he or she has been the subject of harassment or discrimination whilst on professional experience placement should contact their placement coordinator as soon as possible.
Please refer to the JCU Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedure for further information.
Insurance related to professional experience placement is established by the University with annual certificates of currency made available to the University by the insurer.
Certificates of currency may be provided on request directly to a facility.
Please refer to the JCU Indemnity, Insurance and Legal Claims Policy for further information.
Students are required to ensure they are fit for professional experience placement – without physical or mental impairments – which could affect the safety of the individual or the public (including those they will be working with or providing care for).
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) defines impairment as:
“Impairment in relation to a person means the person has a physical or mental impairment, disability, condition or disorder (including substance abuse or dependence), that detrimentally affects or is likely to detrimentally affect:
- For a registered health practitioner or an applicant for registration in a health profession, the person’s capacity to practice the profession; or
- For a student, the student’s capacity to undertake clinical training as part of the approved course in which the student is enrolled or arranged by an education provider."
Professional experience placement may be emotionally, physically and mentally challenging for students. Students must inform the staff member responsible for coordinating their professional experience placement prior to the commencement of placement if they believe they may not be able to meet these challenges.
Students must adhere to all legislative requirements, occupational health and safety requirements, security requirements, confidentiality and privacy requirements and any other rules, bylaws, policies and procedures relating to the professional experience placement that are a requirement of a facility, organisation, government or the University.
Students must advise their placement coordinator if they are involved in an incident whilst on professional experience placement, especially if an injury occurs, and complete an incident report which the facility should provide. In the event that the facility does not have an incident form please use the University's Academy Student Placement Workplace Incident Reporting Form. Once completed please email a copy of the form to your placement coordinator.