EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY

The BHUDRH facilitates a service learning placement that allows students to provide an exercise physiology (EP) service where there is no EP position present in a rural/remote health service.

EP students on this placement will benefit from having a peer with them, generic supervision by the BHUDRH, and external discipline specific supervision.

Students will be rotated through Broken Hill Health Service's Allied Health department and the EP service at the nearby GP SuperClinic. At the GP SuperClinic, chronic disease is a key focus and students will be able to provide services to a wide range of patient cases.

This placement offers students a great opportunity to develop work readiness skills in a health service environment.

As mentioned above, this placement is split across two sites and students will be placed with another EP student for peer support:

Students are largely based within the Chronic Disease Management Program (CDMP) team. The CDMP is a free service for people with chronic condition(s) and are at risk of unplanned hospital stays or Emergency Department visits.

The CDMP’s role is to help people:

  • understand their health condition(s) better
  • understand more about their medicines and how to take them
  • improve their health at home and in the community
  • access the services they need, and
  • better connect clients with their specialist(s), doctor and other health service providers

As an exercise physiology student, students are to contribute to cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation programs, fitness testing of clients with chronic disease, exercise prescription for people with chronic disease, and home screening of clients on the CDMP.

Other services that EP students may be involved with:

  • Haemodialysis exercise
  • Physiotherapy groups - knees, hips and falls groups
  • Mental Health Inpatient Unit
  • Hydrotherapy classes and individuals
  • Individual outpatients with chronic disease
  • Paediatric clients-core strength, hand/arm strength
  • Disability clients 
  • Health promotion/talks

Students will need to be pro-active on placement and manage their timetable/bookings and work across different Allied Health departments.

Please note that there is no EP within the health service, and discipline-specific supervision is provided by distance through weekly meeting via video conference.

Students will work closely with EP Samantha Lou. After the initial period of observing the EP’s role within this private practice setting, students will have a more hands on experience in the management of patients across a wide variety of conditions.

Students will have the opportunity to provide the following services:

  • Conducting initial assessments and follow ups
  • Fitness testing where appropriate
  • Home visit exercise sessions (under Sam’s supervision)
  • Prescribe/deliver exercise sessions/programs in both a one-on-one and group setting
  • Running Basefit and Movefit exercise classes

Conditions to be managed typically include:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Osteoporosis/Osteopenia
  • Arthritis
  • Weight management
  • Chronic pain
  • Falls prevention

Placement Enquiries

If you would like to find out more about a dietetics placement in the Far West Region (Broken Hill), please contact your university lecturer or the BHUDRH Education Support Officer, Sonia McCully

Sonia McCully

Sonia McCully
Education Support Officer
(Allied Health)