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Request for clinical placement
Mandatory Requirements
NHW is committed to facilitating clinical placements that optimise learning and practice development for Allied Health students, focusing on inter professional, patient centred principles and practices.
Allied health student have the opportunity to experience clinical placement across a range of diverse programs that reflect the unique and challenging nature of rural health care delivery.
Academic and Professional Support
Support is provided to the allied health student and clinical supervisors through a Clinical Education and Research Unit
Range of Placement Opportunities
Students can request a range of workplace settings for placement. Students may be able to participate in clinical, project work, research and evaluation. NHW can offer many great learning opportunities, enabling the student to contribute to the excellent work being undertaken at NHW to improve the health and well being of our community.
All of the following programs offer Allied Health clinical placements to students:
Sub Acute Services 
Rehabilitation and Geriatric Evaluation and Management services for older persons are offered at Northeast Health Wangaratta through both an inpatient and community based service:
Sub Acute Ambulatory Care Services
Ambulatory Services is a state funded multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary service, with a full complement of allied health, nurse consultants and medical support, including a visiting Geriatrician. Services are provided through individual and group programs, at either the centre, client's homes or within community based environments.
The mission is to improve the client journey for those with chronic and complex needs, their families, carers, social and health care providers; which is client centred and flexible.
This service aims to:
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Provide specialist services to clients with chronic and complex needs requiring skilled intervention
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Provide flexible service delivery for clients with chronic and complex needs
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Act as a resource to staff, patients and other practitioners both internal and external of Northeast Health Wangaratta
Thomas Hogan Centre
Our Thomas Hogan Centre is a 19 bed inpatient unit which provides multidisciplinary therapy services for people who may require a managed program of care to assist them to optimise their functional independence following illness, injury or surgical procedure. The rehabilitation and geriatric evaluation and management programs are provided by an expert and committed multidisciplinary team with a full complement of allied health, nursing and medical staff, including a visiting Geriatrician.
Services are based on both individual and group based programs, informed by the individual goals of patients and their families, within a negotiated time frame.
Community Health 
In Community Health students could anticipate involvement in;
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health promotion activities, supported by Health Promotion staff
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tailoring services to customer focused outcomes with individual clients visiting the centre, attending groups or through home visits
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working with community groups or agencies, helping people to best help themselves
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seeking feedback from community members who are consumers of our service
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ways that staff work together such as Physiotherapy with Diabetes Educators or Dietitians and Stomal Care Nursing with Speech Pathology, Social Workers or Occupational Therapists and Breast Care Nurses with Health Promotion staff.
The Community Health program includes the provision of services to aged care facilities in Wangaratta, Beechworth and Bright as well as to Illoura, the Residential Aged Care Facility for Northeast Health Wangaratta. Integral to the health promoting focus of Community Health is our role in aged care support for quality of life, independence, chronic disease prevention and optimal self-management. We work with a variety of community-based nursing programs such as District Nursing, Hospital in the Home, Palliative Care, Post-Acute Care and Hospital Readmission Prevention programs to achieve these aims as well as colleagues in inpatient services at Northeast Health Wangaratta and other regional or metropolitan health facilities.
Acute Inpatient
Allied Health professionals are health care workers with specialised training in their area of expertise. They work individually with clients and the main people in their lives to improve quality of life and assist in recovery. Allied Health professionals consult with each other where appropriate to develop a complete view of treatment options so that clients are able to receive the best possible care.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists work with patients to enhance mobility and quality of life by using suitable treatments for an injury or condition. Physiotherapists use a wide range of techniques to relieve pain, restore function and movement and prevent further problems. This includes:
- Joint mobilisation
- Muscle strengthening, stretching and balance exercises
- Walking and functional retraining
- The use of hot packs, ice & ultrasound called electro physical agents
- Soft tissue massage
- Breathing exercises and techniques
- Assessment and prescription of mobility aids like walking sticks and frames
Social Work
Social work services are available to patients and their family & carers while they are in hospital. We can help with:
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Social and emotional issues
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Information about income support
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Information around services in the community
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Initial counselling around grief & loss, adjustment to injury/illness & anxiety
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Discuss difficulties regarding discharge
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Information and support for carers
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Organising family meetings
Occupational Therapy
So you think occupation means work? Actually, occupations are all the activities we do to occupy our time. This includes personal care occupations (showering, dressing, grooming, eating), home maintenance occupations (cooking, cleaning, laundry), community occupations (driving, shopping, banking), productive occupation (work, school, caring, volunteering), and leisure occupations (anything you do for fun and socialising). Occupational therapy (OT) is concerned with whether we can do all these things that we need, want and have to do.
In the acute setting (hospital), injury, illness, surgery and general ageing are the main reasons why someone has difficulty safely and independently participating in their occupations. Occupational therapy focuses on assessment and treatments that look at using equipment (bathroom and toilet aids etc) and modifying the home environment (rails and ramps) in order to be able to do the things we need to do.
Speech Pathology
Speech Pathology services are available for patients whilst in hospital. We see people who are dealing with communication or feeding/swallowing problems.
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Difficulty swallowing food and drink
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Dry mouth which may cause difficulty swallowing and / or difficulty speaking
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Voice problems
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Impaired understanding of speech or speech difficulties.
Dietetics
Dietitians advise people on the relationship between food and health. They aim to promote health, prevent illness and manage disease. Dietitians may assist people who are experiencing the following problems or conditions:
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Diabetes
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Poor oral intake and/or poor appetite
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Malnutrition
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Conditions like cardiac, kidney, liver and coeliac disease
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Cystic Fibrosis
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Irritable bowel conditions
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Food allergies or intolerance
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Healthy eating
Request for Clinical Placement
We have recently initiated a single point of entry for all Allied Health clinical placement requests through the Clinical Service Development Consultant. This process enables us to track all requests, support clinical supervisors and maximise placement opportunities across the organisation.
The student will receive allied health student clinical placement program information and orientation via email. This ensures that students are well prepared for their placement, and know what to expect.
Limited accommodation is available to students on site at NHW at a subsidised cost. Accommodation comprises of single room with shared living, bathroom, laundry and kitchen facilities.
Please contact the Clinical Service Development Consultant with clinical placement requests, confirmation and information regarding our allied health clinical placement program.
How: Email: jacqui.verdon@nhw.hume.org.au
Mandatory
A current Victorian/ National Police Check is mandatory for students to be able to commence clinical placement at NHW.
Students will be asked to present a copy of their police check at orientation.
If the student anticipates being in regular, direct or unsupervised contact with children during their placement a Working with Children Check is also required.
The police and working with children check must be dated within 12 months of estimated completion of clinical placement at NHW.
Students are required to wear university approved uniform to clinical placement, along with approved identification badge.