Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology – Inherent Requirements

Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding role

Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and community/professional sport and exercise science environment

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Sport and exercise science students will be exposed to human discomfort in the sport and exercise science setting and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage situations objectively and professionally.

Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and sport and exercise science settings.

Exemplars:

• Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback.
• Coping with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals in academic and community/professional sport and exercise science settings.

Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent care.

Student demonstrates:

• Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information.
• Ability to process information relevant to practice.
• Ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Safe and effective delivery of care is based on comprehensive sport and exercise science knowledge that must be sourced, understood and applied appropriately.

Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded.

Exemplars:

• Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
• Appropriately applying knowledge of policy and procedures in sport and exercise science community/professional settings.
• Know and correctly interpret a wide range of research findings to provide safe client care.

Foundational literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of care.

Student demonstrates the ability to:

• acquire information and to accurately convey messages.
• comprehend a range of literature and information.
• construct written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• The ability to acquire and comprehend information from multiple sources and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure safe and effective delivery of sport and exercise science client care.

Adjustments to address literacy issues must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information.

Exemplars:

• Conveying a spoken message accurately and effectively in a sport and exercise science setting.
• Paraphrasing, summarising and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments.
• Producing accurate, concise and clear documentation which meets legal requirements.

Foundational numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective care.

Student interprets and correctly applies data, measurements and numerical criteria.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Competent application of numeracy skills is essential to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of care.

Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner.

Exemplars:

• Performing accurate calculations (e.g. range of motion, body mass index, estimated energy requirements, heart rate range).
• Critical analysis of relevant literature, including numeracy in statistics.

Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective care.

Student demonstrates sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks and assessments to maintain consistent, accurate and safe care to self and others.
• Visual observations, examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective sport and exercise science practice.

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in sport and exercise science practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.

Exemplars:

• Ability to identify abnormal movement (e.g. postural, biomechanical, motor control, anatomical).
• Ability to accurately identify, palpate or do physical assessments on specific muscle groups or injuries.
• Ability to see and recognise abnormal ECG or blood pressure in cardiopulmonary clients.
• Ability to terminate an exercise test for reasons of symptoms related to abnormal ECG or elevated blood pressure and then deal with a client needing medical assistance.
• Ability to assess and evaluate functional sport specific movements and skills, and to be able to demonstrate sport specific skills and movement patterns.
• Ability to see to set up laboratory equipment appropriately, read written or typed labels to identify toxic or highly concentrated materials, and observe fine graduations to enable accurate measurement, as well as observe laboratory reagent colours and colour changes.

Adequate auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective care.

Student demonstrates sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to monitor, assess and manage individual health and fitness needs consistently and accurately.
• Auditory assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective practice.

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in sport and exercise science practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the hearing impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.

Exemplars:

• Accurately interpreting verbal cues from client history.
• Detecting care request by calls for help.

Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe care.

Student demonstrates sufficient tactile function to undertake the required range of skills and assessments.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient tactile ability is necessary to monitor, assess and detect clients’ physical characteristics and act on any abnormalities detected to provide thorough care.
• Tactile assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective sport and exercise science practice

Adjustments must have the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames.

Exemplars:

• Detecting any changes in circulation observations (e.g. pulse palpation).
• Detecting any changes in muscle groups/muscle function (e.g. manual muscle tests, and static and PNF stretching).

Sport and exercise science involves physical demands and requires gross motor function.

Student demonstrates the ability to perform gross motor skills to function within scope of practice.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise care. Tasks that involve gross motor skills include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, balancing, twisting and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care.

Exemplars:

• Ability to respond in client safety emergency situations for example, administering CPR.
• Ability to safely retrieve, set-up and utilise sport and exercise science equipment.
• Ability to physically conduct a clinical exercise test.
• Ability to demonstrate and conduct a sport specific training session.

Sport and exercise science is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.

Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective care.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise care. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care.

Exemplars:

• Ability to perform subtle manual diagnostic techniques (e.g. manual pressure cuff, manual heart rate monitors, ECG, dynamometer).
• Ability to demonstrate and perform fine motor skills in a sport specific context e.g. those requiring target precision and hand-eye coordination.
• Ability to manipulate laboratory equipment with precision such as running a titration.

Sport and exercise science practice requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet individual needs over time

Student demonstrates:

• Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time.
• Ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately.
• Capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of duty.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective care.

Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period.

Exemplars:

• Participating in tutorials, lectures, labs, skills practicals throughout the day.
• Providing consistent care over a negotiated time frame.
• Ability to prepare, deliver and supervise sport and exercise training experiences for novice and elite level athletes and exercise enthusiasts.

Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of care

Student demonstrates the ability to:

• understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner.
• provide clear instructions in the context of the situation.
• provide clear and timely feedback and reporting.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Communication may be restricted to verbal because of physical limitations of the individual (e.g. injury, disease or congenital conditions).
• Speed and interactivity of communication may be critical for individual safety or treatment.
• Timely, accurate and effective delivery of instructions is critical to individual safety, treatment and management.

Adjustments for impaired verbal communication must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety.

Exemplars:

• Participating in tutorial, simulation, laboratory and practical discussions.
• Responding appropriately to a care request in the sport and exercise science environment (e.g. instructing clients on correct use of equipment, instructing group-based exercise classes).

Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to sport and exercise science and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental.

Student demonstrates:

• Capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues.
• Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours.
• Sensitivity to individual differences.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic, work and professional relationships.
• Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes trust in academic, work and professional relationships.
• Being sensitive to individual differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships.
• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for safe and effective facilitation of sport and exercise science care delivery

Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.

Exemplars:

• Recognising and responding appropriately in classroom (inside and outdoor; within or external to the University) situations.
• Recognising and responding appropriately to cues in the community and professional environments.

Effective written communication is a fundamental responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.

Student demonstrates capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Construction of essays/reports and other written work to academic standards is required in order to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter, procedures and professional practice.
• Accurately written communication, including record-keeping and client notes, is vital to provide consistent and safe patient care

Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and clinical settings.

Exemplars:

• Constructing an essay to academic standards.
• Constructing a report or exercise prescription in a timely manner that meets professional standards.
• Recording and documenting responses and progress of clients during an exercise program and reporting on the outcomes.