In this section you will detail information relevant to your clinical placement at Monash Health.
The following information is designed to provide you with a safe and positive placement at Monash Health.
The following information is designed to provide you with a safe and positive placement at Monash Health.
There is considerable variation from setting to setting. Some areas have developed orientation programs and folders to assist you in adapting to their workplace; others expect you to show initiative. It is expected that you will take responsibility to prepare for your clinical experience. The following points provide a suggestion of areas that may need to be clarified:
Further information for your placement can be found under Your Specialty, in the Student Orientation Website.
Take the time to clarify with your clinical educator/supervisor any uncertainties you may have about any of the following:
Parking is available onsite at Clayton, Dandenong, Kingston and Moorabbin in the visitor/public car park. Rates are as per the applicable public rates. Please refer to the Monash Health website for further information.
Please note there is no student parking available at Monash Health.
Students are expected to fit in with the hours kept by staff at the placement location and are expected to minimise non‐clinic commitments during the placement.
Clinical hours include direct patient‐contact, patient‐related activities and independent study time. The focus of the clinical placement is on attaining the required clinical competencies. Make‐up of missed days, where permitted, are negotiated between the student coordinator, education provider and clinical educator/supervisor.
You are expected to attend all orientation sessions, tutorials, and other clinical placement activities as directed by your student coordinator and/or supervisor.
If you are unwell and unable to attend your clinical placement, you must contact your clinical educator/supervisor via phone as soon as possible, ideally 15-30 minutes prior to the starting time. Email or text message is not appropriate.
It is courtesy to assist with work load planning for the student to contact their clinical educator/supervisor by 4pm if the student knows their likely health status for the following day. Discussions with your student coordinator and Education Provider need to occur regarding placement days being renegotiated following any unplanned leave.
It is the responsibility of the student to check with their Education Provider is they are required to provide a medical certificate for health related absences.
Where cplacements do not require students to wear a uniform, appearance must be professional, dignified and suitable to the clinical environment.
Garments are to be appropriately fitted, in good repair and clean:
All staff and students working in clinical areas involved in transferring and/or moving patients are required to wear closed toe shoes and non-slip soles. Any staff member or student entering a kitchen must have footwear with non-slip soles. Closed heels on shoes are recommended to minimise slips and trips. Stockings/socks must be worn.
The following clothing is not permitted:
Depending on the duration of your placement you may be required to obtain a Monash Health ID badge. You student coordinator will provide you with the relevant information if this is required.
If your placement is less than 2 weeks, you are required to wear your Education Provider ID badge. On your first day you will be provided with a Monash Health Visitors Badge.
Privacy and the protection of personal information of client/patients is a serious issue and one of which students need to be aware when undertaking placements.
Confidential information learned whilst on placement should not be divulged at anytime.
This requirement continues even after the patient has been discharged, or the student has left the health service and Education facility.
Students undertaking placements are required to abide by the confidentiality procedures of the health service.
If there is any doubt of whether a piece of information is confidential, it should be assumed confidential until it is otherwise defined.
Students are expected to be aware of the standards of practice, Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics governing their discipline, as well as knowledge of the following key legislations:
We also recommend reading the brochure “Health Privacy it’s my business”, which outlines the Privacy Principles http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc/.
Education Provider departments regard medical information forwarded by students as confidential. The Department will only inform staff and clinical educators/supervisors of the health service if expressly requested to do so by the student.
Students are therefore advised that if they have a medical condition that may affect their performance in a clinic they should inform the clinical educator/supervisor prior to the commencement of their clinical placement.
It is the responsibility of the Student to:
1. Expect certain characteristics of the clinical educator/supervisor
2. Be adequately observed
3. Receive feedback that is timely, balanced, independent and specific
4. Specific role definition
5. Develop personal therapy styles that are logical and scientifically sound
6. Be assertive (not passive, aggressive or demanding)
7. Make mistakes
It is the responsibility of the clinical educator to:
1. Define general goals of the clinic.
2. Describe and expect fulfilment of student’s job responsibilities.
3. Be respected as a human being and as a health professional.
4. Professionally act in the following manner:
5. Offer and receive mutual feedback:
6. Establish the mode of interaction:
Students on clinical placement should be mindful of the rights of patients and clients. Students should familiarise themselves with the particular policy on client rights which applies in each clinical placement.
1. The Right to Choose
2. The Right to Confidentiality
3. The Right to Privacy and Dignity
4. The Right to Impartiality
5. The Right to be Informed
In this section you will find relevant information to ensure your clinical placement, is safe and successful. Please thoroughly read the following to ensure you are aware of Monash Health guidelines and policies.
Monash Health is a smoke free organisation. Smoking is not permitted on any Monash Health property.
Any incident involving the student or a patient in the student′s care whilst on clinical placement must be reported to the clinical educator and to the Student Coordinator immediately. Reporting of the incident should be performed following both Monash Health and the Education Provider procedures and guidelines. It is unethical and unprofessional conduct to fail to report an incident to the health service and the education provider.
The student must:
If a complaint involved alleged criminal behaviour, e.g. sexual or physical assault, the complainant has the right to report the matter to the police. Monash Health will provide appropriate support for the complainant during any investigations.
Monash Health has adopted the standard colour code system for specific emergencies as provided in AS 4083-1997. Please familiarise yourself with these codes prior to the commencement of your placement.
To call a Code within Monash Health, dial 999.
All students are expected to complete online fire training prior to commencing their clinical placement. This online training should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. (See section Mandatory Training)
Monash Health has a dedicated Infection Control Unit across 5 sites and clear policy and procedures manual.
Monash Health utilises standard precautions for all patients to reduce infection transmission. Good hand hygiene is the primary means for reducing infection transmission. Monash Health recommends standard soap washing procedures if your hands are visibly soiled, after using the bathroom or if you have had contact with a patient with Clostridium difficile (a bacterium that does not respond to the alcohol based hand rubs). For all other general hand hygiene, the alcohol based hand rub is recommended and has been found to be more effective than soap.
There are five critical times for hand hygiene, they are:
Students are required to complete the Online Hand Hygiene Package through LATTE prior to placement. (See section Mandatory Training)
If you have any queries regarding infection control or occupational exposure, please speak with your supervisor immediately.
The following immunisations are recommended for all staff and students at Monash Health.
The following may be accepted as evidence of immunity to hepatitis B:
A Student who is unable to provide evidence of immunity to hepatitis B is considered to have satisfied the hepatitis B requirement for Placement if they:
(a) Are in the first year of their course; and
(b) Have received at least two doses of hepatitis B vaccine.
The following may be accepted as evidence of immunity to measles:
The following may be accepted as evidence of immunity to mumps:
The following may be accepted as evidence of immunity to pertussis:
The following may be accepted as evidence of immunity to rubella:
The following may be accepted as evidence of no active infection with tuberculosis:
Students are also considered to have satisfied the tuberculosis requirement for Placement if they provide a written statement from an AHPRA-registered specialist infectious disease or respiratory physician advising they have been assessed as fit for Placement; for example, if the Student is receiving appropriate treatment for a current tuberculosis infection and is deemed non-infectious.
The following may be accepted as evidence of immunity to varicella:
Reference – State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Standardised Student Induction Protocol – Clinical Health Placement
Withdrawal by a student from a subject involving clinical placements is subject to the same rules as withdrawal from any other enrolled education facility subject.
The organisation may request a student be withdrawn from placement where: