School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Introductory Sonography Clinical Placement
  • Unit Code

    SON3103
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    30
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Afrooz NAJAFZADEH ABRIZ

Description

This clinical placement unit is largely observational and exposes students to the various roles and responsibilities of healthcare workers in ultrasound environments. Under the direct supervision of a health care practitioner within a radiological clinic or department, students observe and discuss ultrasound imaging experiences with health practitioners to broaden their knowledge and enhance their ability to work within a healthcare team. Students gain experience in departmental ultrasound examination protocols, specific imaging techniques, documentation and reporting of sonographic findings and overall sonographer workflow.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Starting January/February of the third year, students are required to complete a minimum of 3 days per week over a period of 24 weeks of clinical placement.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must have passed SON2101, SON2102, SON2103, SON2201, and SON2202.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply knowledge of safe and ethical sonographic practice when working in clinical environments.
  2. Evaluate professional strengths and limitations through comparative observation with medical ultrasound healthcare professionals.
  3. Plan personal learning goals and self-reflection activities to develop professional competency.
  4. Write ultrasound examination records and notes under the guidance of a clinical supervisor.

Unit Content

  1. Practical scanning techniques and protocols of superficial structures, small parts, renal system, pelvis, abdomen and first trimester obstetric ultrasound.
  2. Ultrasound system controls, image artifacts, radiology information and picture archiving, communication systems, care of ultrasound transducers, quality assurance, and the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principle.
  3. Health and safety in the work place, including manual handling, infection control, and correct scanning ergonomics.
  4. Professional attributes: maintaining sonographer worksheets, effective communication, gaining consent, reflective practice (desired attributes for sonographers by the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry).

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students are required to complete a minimum of 3 days per week over a period of 24 weeks of clinical placement at a WA diagnostic ultrasound service provider after successful completion of all the core units of the first and second year of the course.

Assessment

GS2 GRADING SCHEMA 2 Used for Undifferentiated Pass/Fail units inc. practical units or work-integrated learning

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescription
Portfolio ^Placement portfolio (multiple elements)

^ Mandatory to Pass


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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