Attending a workplace experience or clinical placement is an exciting part of your program. These health-related placements let you experience what it’s like to work as a professional in real-life workplace settings and are an integral part of your learning.
Please expand and review all the Preparing for placement tabs for specific and detailed information about your health-related placement. Further Additional information is included below.
If you are completing a health-related program, you must meet mandatory NSW Health Student Compliance requirements for:
Evidence of you meeting these requirements must be provided. UOW will forward your evidence to NSW Health and they will verify your compliance. This must be done prior to you attending a placement within a NSW Health Facility.
UOW has produced a one page “checklist” that outlines what is required.
Further details of the specific requirements can be found on this web page.
Full details and some FAQ’s can be found on the NSW Health student compliance page of the Health Education and Training website (HETI). Students should also review the HETI website to acquaint themselves with the NSW Health Policy document Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination Against Specified Infectious Diseases.
It is strongly recommended that all students (including future students) start collating immunisation & vaccination evidence as soon as possible. Some vaccination courses can take several months to complete (e.g., a full course of Hepatitis B can take 5 months).
It is your responsibility to comply with these requirements and to maintain your compliance throughout your course. If you do not, you may be prevented from attending placements.
1. Immunisation and vaccination details
You must provide evidence of all vaccinations as stipulated in the NSW Health Policy. This includes:
NOTE: If you have not received all your required vaccinations, discuss options of receiving these ASAP with your GP / health care provider.
Evidence of immunisation / vaccination
The best form of evidence of your immunisation and vaccination status is a copy of your Immunisation history statement from Medicare Australia (for COVID-19, a copy of your COVID-19 Digital Certificate will meet requirements).
Important privacy note: Older copies of immunisation history statement OR COVID-19 digital certificate documents include an Individual Health Identifier (IHI). As this number is a personal identifier, you must remove (redact or black out) this number before providing it to UOW or NSW Health. To remove your IHI either print your document to PDF & use the ‘Redacting’ tool in ADOBE or follow the instructions on the video from the HETI Website student compliance page. Newer versions of these documents, i.e. from early 2023, will not include your IHI and will not need to be modified. Please ensure the most up-to-date evidence is provided.
If your immunisation history statement does not capture your full immunisation / vaccination history, you will need to provide additional evidence. Download a copy of the NSW Governments Vaccination Record Card for Health Care Workers and Students and have your GP or health care provider complete it (use the current version from this link as older versions will not be accepted). Ensure your GP/health care provider sign, date, and use a practice stamp for all entries made on the form.
Other acceptable forms of evidence could be a childhood immunisation record (e.g., Baby Blue Book (or similar)); a school vaccination card; or other vaccination records.
For COVID-19 vaccines administered in Australia, the only acceptable evidence of vaccination is either, a Medicare Australia Immunisation History Statement (IHS), a COVID-19 and Influenza IHS or a COVID-19 digital certificate.
For COVID-19 vaccines administered overseas, overseas COVID-19 vaccination records are acceptable evidence if the NSW Health assessor is satisfied that the evidence is from a legitimate source, the vaccine is approved for use or recognised in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and it was received on or after 1 March 2020. Any vaccination records recorded in a foreign language must be translated to English using a translation service.
If you have a medical contraindication to any COVID vaccine, you will need to provide specific evidence of your circumstances to NSW Health. Full details of the requirements are listed under the COVID-19 vaccination heading on the HETI website student compliance page.
Minimum Vaccination Requirements for Temporary Compliance
If you have recently commenced your Hepatitis B vaccine regimen OR are part way through, you meet the minimum vaccination requirement for Hepatitis B compliance. The full requirements for Hepatitis B can take five (5) months (see the table below detailing the acceptable Adult Hepatitis B regimen).
If you meet the minimum requirement, you will likely be granted Temporary Compliant status and will be able to attend a health-related placement. To be given this status you must also have met ALL OTHER vaccination requirements as stipulated on the NSW Governments Vaccination Record Card for Health Care Workers and Students and have completed ALL declaration forms and Police Check processes as specified.
Temporary compliance will have an expiry date. It is important to note that this will be 6 months after your initial assessment date by NSW Health and not necessarily 6 months after you were deemed temporary compliant. Irrespective, within this period, you must complete your Hepatitis B vaccine regimen to gain full compliance.
Hepatitis B vaccine regimen
To meet the full Hepatitis B requirements, you must include evidence of (at least) age-appropriate Hepatitis B vaccine doses (i.e., infant 4 x doses [3 x infant doses may also be accepted]; adolescent (11-15yrs) 2 x doses; adults (16+yrs) 3 x doses) PLUS serology (a blood test) proving immunity.
The following table defines the acceptable minimum timeframes between adult Hepatitis B doses (as extrapolated from the Australian Immunisation Handbook).
|
Options |
Day Zero / Month 0 |
Day 28 / |
Day 56 / Month 2 |
Day 84 / Month 3 |
Day 112 / Month 4 |
Day 140 / Month 5 |
|
Option 1 |
Dose 1 |
Dose 2 |
|
|
Dose 3 |
Serology |
|
Option 2 |
Dose 1 |
|
Dose 2 |
|
Dose 3 |
Serology |
NB: Accelerated Hepatitis B dosage regimes that are shorter than the above timeframes will not be accepted by NSW Health.
A Hepatitis B Vaccination Declaration form is available if you do not have evidence of your vaccinations. Section A of the Hepatitis B Vaccination Declaration form should be completed and signed. NSW Health staff will complete Section B (there is no need to have an independent assessor complete section B).
Non-responders to hepatitis B vaccine are recommended to receive further doses and serological testing.
A non-responder is a person who:
People who do not respond to the age appropriate vaccination course, and in whom chronic hepatitis B virus infection has been excluded, should be offered further doses.
People can receive a single booster dose (for adults this will be a 4th dose) of vaccine. Serological testing should be performed at least 4 weeks after this booster dose to confirm non-responder status.
People who are non-responders after receiving the booster should be tested for hepatitis B virus infection. If negative, they are recommended to receive 2 more doses of hepatitis B vaccine 1 month apart. The person should be re-tested via serology for anti-HBs levels at least 4 weeks after the last dose. Full details can be found in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
NSW Health will advise of appropriate protocols for students who are deemed persistent non-responders.
Some vaccinations require a serology report (blood test) to confirm your immunity (e.g., for Hepatitis B, a serology must be provided). A serology report will only be accepted if the serology test was performed at least 28 days after your last age-appropriate dose of a vaccine.
For other vaccinations (e.g., MMR, Varicella), if you have proof of the required doses, a serology report is not required. However, if your GP documents any serology results on your Vaccination Record Card as proof of immunity / vaccination (i.e., Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella or TB), you must also provide a copy of these serology report/s as evidence, irrespective of the number of vaccine doses you have recorded and received. If in doubt, if you have a serology report, include it with your evidence.
Download each of the following NSW Health forms from the HETI Website and answer ALL questions. You must personally sign each document as a “typed” electronic signature will not be accepted by NSW Health. NB: The Blood Borne Virus (BBV) form is only for Medical students:
All students (both local and international) must provide a valid Australian National Police Certificate (NPC). A valid NPC is one that is:
A NSW Police or other state based police service check is preferred as these are automatically valid for five (5) years. If you are planning to do a health placement within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), it is recommended that you specifically obtain your NPC through either the NSW Police or the Australian Federal Police (and not a listed ACIC accredited body) as ACT Health have slightly different requirements.
NOTE: Once verified by NSW Health, all NPC’s are valid for five (5) years from their purchase/assessment date. NPC’s must remain valid for the duration of your program.
Disclosable Outcomes
If your NPC contains any disclosable outcomes (i.e., a charge or conviction etc.), you must independently apply for a Risk Assessment. The application process is detailed on the HETI Website and you will need the assistance of your placement coordinator. You can contact your placement coordinator.
International Students
If you are an international student, you must also provide either:
NOTE: Providing suitable police check documentation can be complex. To assist, HETI have provided some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) on their website.
A copy of your UOW student ID card must also be provided as part of your documentation (UOW ID Cards are only available after you have enrolled at UOW).
Use this quick checklist to self-assess your readiness for NSW Health to verify you as being compliant (or temporary compliant).
SONIA is the UOW Student Placement System. SONIA is an online portal for all things related to placements, it is also where you must upload your evidence.
After enrolling at UOW you will be provided with an email address and login specific to UOW. You will also be granted access to SONIA. Detailed instruction on how to upload your evidence can be found in the How to upload “check” evidence and how to navigate the Check Tab within SONIA guide (PDF). The process is very easy, simply:
After you have uploaded your evidence, it will be checked for completeness by the UOW Verification Team. If additional evidence OR corrections are required, you will be notified of the same via both an email to your UOW email address and via the information link on the SONIA Checks tab. It is important that you follow up on these requests as soon as possible so that your evidence can be sent as a package to NSW Health for verification.
NOTE: Your documentation package can only be sent to NSW Health for verification once we have received at least the minimum vaccination requirements and ALL required Health documentation, including police check information.
Further information can be found from the FAQ’s - NSW Health Student Compliance and verification (PDF:173 KB) or from the UOW Verification Team uow-verification@uow.edu.au.
It remains mandatory for students placed within NSW Health facilities to be appropriately fitted for P2 or N95 masks or respirators prior to attendance; this also applies to most private facilities.
Masks must be worn whenever a patient under airborne precautions is being treated or if aerosol generating procedures are anticipated. Whilst masks may not be required if you are placed in a lower risk area, you must still be fit tested and ready to don (i.e. put on) a mask should circumstance change. You may be refused entry to your placement facility if you have not been fit tested prior.
What is mask fit testing, and how often should I be tested?
Mask Fit testing determines which mask is right for you. The right mask will appropriately seal around your mouth and nose, preventing you from being exposed to airborne particles within the environment.
Fit testing (or retesting) must occur at least every 12 months. Retesting should be conducted within that time if there has been a significant change to your facial characteristics or a change to the availability of a previously fitted mask. Testing may involve several different masks, and the correct mask for you may be different to that of your peers. It may also be different to what you were tested for previously.
Who can conduct testing?
UOW is the primary fit testing organisation for UOW students. However, many other organisations, including public and private health facilities as well as WHS organisations, can conduct testing. At UOW, testing is conducted from various campuses and is currently provided free of charge.
If within the last 12 months, you have been fit tested elsewhere (e.g. your work, or on a previous placement), you may not need to be retested straight away. You must share your test results with UOW. We will update your student profile within the NSW Health system to advise NSW Health of your status.
How do I book a mask fitting appointment?
To ensure timely access to mask fitting appointments, priority is given to those students with a pending placement; bookings are therefore by invitation only. Please contact your placement coordination team who will liaise with the UOW Verification Team to coordinate appointment times. You will then be given instruction on how to access the booking system within Sonia.
What else do I need to know about mask fitting?
Before attending a mask fit test appointment, you must meet the following criteria:
*Exceptions can be made if you have facial hair for religious or cultural observance purposes or due to a documented medical condition. Whilst UOW is unable to perform these tests locally, we will liaise with ISLHD to facilitate specialist assessment. Please contact the UOW Verification team for more details.
Students are required to read and sign the UOW Exercise Physiology Placement Acknowledgement Form prior to attending their first placement. This form is provided to students and discussed with regards to the requirements and expectations including abiding by the Codes of Conduct outlined by NSW Health, ACT Health, other organisations and UOW Student Professional Experience.
By signing this form, students are acknowledging they have been informed of the requirements of placement, and agree to comply with the information and the codes provided.
Placement allocation is determined by the clinical placement coordinator.
Students may have the opportunity to preferences particular facilities / sites early in semester one. Nominating a preferred location does not guarantee allocation as there are multiple factors involved. Whilst every attempt is made to place a student within their preferred location / facility, this is not always possible, and students need to be ready to accept an alternative.
Please contact the Exercise Physiology Placement Team if you have any questions about placement.
Students are required to purchase and wear the University of Wollongong Exercise Physiology polo shirt for all placements. Shirts are organised by the Placement Coordinator. Other uniform requirements will be provided by the placement coordinator or by clinical supervisors to the students on initial contact, as they often differ across sites. If no further site-specific uniform is required, long dark pants and enclosed leather shoes that are comfortable for movement are considered appropriate. Any jacket or jumper worn for placement should be neat, un-branded (other than a UOW-label if preferred), and should not have a hood.
Students will receive an email from NSW Health 14 days prior to commencing their placement.
Please add the @health.nsw.gov.au domain to your safe senders list to ensure that the email is sent through to your inbox and does not get caught in spam or junk folder.
Students attending exercise physiology clinical placements must be able to safely participate in the activities of the clinical placement supervisor in the placement environment, in order to comply with the policies and requirements of the specific organisation and the University’s Code of Conduct for Student Professional Practice. Injury, illness or other personal factors that arise prior to, or during, a placement may impact on the student’s appropriateness to continue with that placement.
Placements are organised and allocated by the Clinical Placement Coordinator. All travel and accommodation arrangements, including costs associated with placement, are the responsibility of the individual student. The Placement Coordinator will take into account relevant student information in order to provide fair and equitable allocation as much as possible, whilst ensuring students meet the industry accreditation requirements.
Students undertaking a placement in a rural or remote area may be eligible for placement scholarships annually released by different organisations, such as NSW Health and SARRAH. Students are encouraged to explore options that may be applicable to their placements and will be supported by the Placement Coordinator in the provision of required evidence/documentation that may be needed to support their application.
Currently, there are no international placement opportunities for Exercise Physiology.
The University has in place policies and practices which outline what is expected of you whilst you are on your placement.
If you have any difficulties whilst on your placement, please contact your relevant placement coordinator for assistance.
Please view the policies and practices which apply to students when on placement.