Study Guide

Description

The title of the graduating students of Degree Programme in Physiotherapy is Bachelor of Health Care. The degree is comparable with equivalent degrees in other EU countries. Bachelors of Health Care are authorised by National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health as health care professionals (physiotherapists). The scope of the Degree Programme in Physiotherapy is 210 credits and the education lasts for 3,5 years.

Competences developed

Physiotherapists are experts in the area of medical rehabilitation. Medical rehabilitation includes all activities that aim at improving and maintaining individuals’ physical, social and mental abilities. Rehabilitation aims at supporting the individuals’ resources, their coping abilities and equal participation. Physiotherapy is part of the health, social and rehabilitation service system and its focus is on the movement and functional ability of individuals.

Physiotherapist defines an individuals’ diverged movements, locomotion and function by using physiotherapeutic assessment. After examination and clinical reasoning the physiotherapist carries out therapeutic exercises, manual and physical therapy as well as guidance aiming to support and promote the individual’s movement and functional ability.

The graduating students have the skills needed for expert tasks in promoting health, functional ability and wellbeing of individuals and groups. Physiotherapy is evidence-based and physiotherapists work within legislation and the profession’s ethical principles. Physiotherapists work with different aged people in hospitals, health centres, research and rehabilitation centres, spas, private physiotherapy clinics as well as in different organisations, schools, as private practitioners as well as in different projects and marketing. They can operate in different professional situations also in English. Physiotherapists often work as a team member but are responsible for planning, acting, evaluating and developing their work.

Implementing physiotherapy education

Physiotherapy has it’s basis in physiotherapy science. Studies in the degree programme consist of professional studies, Bachelor’s thesis and elective studies. Larger modules are divided into smaller study units. The knowledge of different subjects is integrated to develop student´s individual knowing. The programme contains 77 ects gredits worth of practical training and 39 of those are studies in different clinics or other practice surroundings and 6 in a project. Principles of sustainable development will be taken into account in practical placements.

The professional growth process of each student is essential in physiotherapy education. It is based on the know-how the student already has before the education begins. The process varies individually depending on the learning environment and the social and cultural situation.

Learning outcomes and aims of each academic year

During the first academic year, the students gain an overview of the profession. At the end of the year they can assess a healthy persons’ movements and locomotion as part of their functional ability. They can use, for instance, massage and different guidance and instruction methods in promoting the movement and functional ability of individuals and groups. The students get to know the profession’s ethical principles and learn to act along them.

After the second academic year, the students have the skills to promote and support the movement and functional ability of adult patients, who have musculo-skeletal, breathing, cardio-vascular, neurological or psycho-somatic problems. The students get to know different organizations of health care and rehabilitation during their practical placements. They also get to know English and Swedish language needed at work. At the end of the second academic year the students can, under supervision, use evidence based knowledge in planning and implementing physiotherapy.

During the third year the physiotherapy students learn about children’s and elderly peoples’ health, functional ability and problems and physiotherapy for them. At the end of the third year, the student can plan and implement physiotherapy together with clients and their reference groups based on the clinical reasoning process. The students gain the skills required in entrepreneurship as well as in project work and may spend some months in international student exchange.

Before graduation the students have gained abilities to run projects.They have deepened their knowledge in an interest area through their Bachelor’s thesis, alternative and elective studies. They have also integrated language skills as part of their professional identity.

Physiotherapy students may apply for student exchange for the sixth or seventh term. The incoming exchange students are offered studies for 30 ects credits during the spring or autumn term. TAMK’s physiotherapy students get opportunities for internationalization at home as peer students or through guiding teacher visitors.

After graduation the students know the principles of sustainability in physiotherapy.

Curriculum development and working life cooperation

The curriculum development has been and is continuously carried out in collaboration with the members of the advisory board and physiotherapists of the region. The professional practical training is mostly carried out in organisations offering physiotherapy services in the Tampere region.