Graduating soon? Physio Board get animated for students with new video

28 Sep 2017

Are you a physiotherapy student and graduating soon? Are you grappling with assignments, exams and starting to apply for your first job in the profession? Today the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (the Board) has launched a short animation just for you.

The video aims to raise awareness among physiotherapy students and new graduates about the important role registering with the Board plays in providing safe and ethical care to patients.

Before a physiotherapy graduate enters the world of work they must register with the Board. There is only one registration Board that covers all of Australia. The Board has developed this video to help graduates understand what they need to know about becoming a registered physiotherapist.

The video also talks about the codes, polices and guidelines graduates will need to know throughout their career. These will help them provide safer care to patients.

The Board launched the video at a stakeholder forum held in Darwin this week and has released the video to coincide with the Board’s awareness campaign for students who are graduating at the end of 2017 and will soon be seeking general registration as a physiotherapist.

Students due to complete approved programs of study at the end of 2017 are invited to apply for registration online four to six weeks before finishing their course and after Monday 9 October. We are updating our online application form to help make registration easier for students applying for registration, so if you can, wait to apply until after Monday 9 October.

The animation aims to explain their obligations when becoming registered physiotherapist, why though they have completed their education and training that they still need to participate in continuous professional development and meet other registration standards. It sets out what it means to be part of a regulated profession which abides by a Code of Conduct.

Charles Flynn, Board Chair, welcomed the new video, saying it is important that the graduates understand what it means to be a registered physiotherapist in Australia.

‘The Board is always looking at new ways to provide information to students who are about to graduate. The video, for example, sets out the role that registered physios play in providing care and meeting their obligations when they first register, and when they register year on year after that.

‘The video is short and easy viewing; we didn’t want to overwhelm new graduates with lots of information. We wanted to guide them through some of the requirements they will need to meet when they start work, such as continuing professional development and that they need to register with the Board every year,’ he said.

All practitioner Board members were once graduates and understand the information overload they can often face.

‘Stepping out of the lecture room and into your first job as a physiotherapist is a big deal. I can remember doing it myself. We want to help graduates to understand how to apply their physiotherapy knowledge, that they need to continue to learn and develop their skills and also know and apply the national standards they will be held accountable against as they transition to registered and competent professionals.’

‘I would encourage all physiotherapists and education providers, to share this video and with physiotherapy final year students and new graduates so that they can find out more about the profession and understand how crucial it is that we the profession is regulated to help keep the public safer,’ he said.

The video can be found on the Board’s dedicated Student registration webpage as well as Board and AHPRA’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. It can also be found on Twitter via the hashtag #physiograd.

The Board’s website is the place to find all the up-to-date information affecting your registration, throughout a practitioner’s career, see www.physiotherapyboard.gov.au.

For more information

• Read the media release from AHPRA and National Boards on the AHPRA website.
• Lodge an online enquiry form
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9275 9009 (overseas callers)
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200