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Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit : Postgraduate Programmes

Postgraduate Certificate in Rehabilitation (PGCertRehab)

What does it involve?

The PGCertRehab is a one-year, part-time postgraduate course. The PGCertRehab combines an interdisciplinary learning model with clinical and research expertise, making this course unique.

What can it lead to?

The people who complete the PGCertRehab will find themselves better equipped to deal with a broad range of rehabilitation issues and be able to demonstrate to potential employers and funders that they possess the necessary skills to get results. The PGCertRehab can be an avenue into the Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation by completing two further 30-point papers from the RTRU.

What is the course content?

Students undertaking the PGCertRehab are required to complete two 30-point papers - REHX701 Rehabilitation Principles and REHX712 Evaluating Rehabilitation.

PAPERS OFFERED

REHX701 Rehabilitation Principles

This is one of the core papers in which we explore some of the important concepts of modern rehabilitation practice. There is wide variation in the understanding of rehabilitation and the most effective ways to set up and run rehabilitation services. It is only by investigating some of these core ideas that one makes sense of specific management strategies for conditions such as stroke, head injury, back pain and schizophrenia. This paper will pose challenging questions with the objective that students gain a better understanding of what one does and why one does it. It is hoped that as a result of reading, thinking and discussion, students will further develop their ideas regarding appropriate practice in rehabilitation.

Key topics include:

  • Analysis of the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Health, Disability, and Functioning (ICF)
  • Ethical and cultural issues in rehabilitation
  • Consumer perspectives and social construction of disability
  • Working with families and carers
  • Goals and goal planning
  • Understanding teams and interdisciplinary best practice
  • Case co-ordination
  • ACC and its role in rehabilitation
  • The economics of rehabilitation and service development


REHX712 Evaluating Rehabilitation

Critical thinking and personal reflexivity are the primary characteristics of REHX712 graduates. The challenge in this paper is to integrate your existing knowledge and experience (e.g. as clinician, consumer, funder/manager) with findings from research; the outcome we expect is that you will find opportunities for change in your rehabilitation to promote improvements in rehabilitation process or outcome. To meet this challenge you will develop further skills that support your continuing academic development, such as: asking answerable questions, rigorous critique of all types of 'evidence', personal 'reflexivity', the ability to present a cogent argument supporting your interpretation of 'evidence'; and making a reasoned judgement about how research from 'populations' and 'samples' can be applied in the 'particular' case or setting.


Who is the PGCertRehab intended for?

The course is intended for people from a wide range of professional backgrounds who are:

  • Involved in rehabilitation or wishing to address rehabilitation issues
  • Wanting to develop a questioning approach to their practice
  • Wanting to work towards a recognised academic qualification

Previous students have included nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, social workers, psychologists, mental health professionals and support workers, doctors, case managers, health service managers, exercise specialists and vocational counsellors. These students have come from a range of backgrounds including hospitals, community services, rehabilitation clinics, vocational or work-site rehabilitation practices, general practices, private hospitals or rest homes, supported housing for mental health consumers, ACC case management, government departments or insurance companies and private practice.

For further information please contact the Programme Administrator at: rtru@otago.ac.nz.

 

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