Clinical Placement Compliance

Overview

Students who have clinical placements as a part of their program often have compulsory compliance requirements that must be met prior to starting their program and/or clinical placement. These requirements may cover a range of items, from first aid and CPR certifications, police checks, Working with Children checks and immunization requirements.

Below are examples of common compliance requirements. Please note what follows is not an exhaustive list, nor are these items requested for all programs. These are simply examples of what may be requested if your program includes clinical components.

Here’s what you’ll find on this page:

Immunization

To be able to undertake placements in certain programs, particularly healthcare fields, it is mandatory that students are fully vaccinated. This ensures the safety and well-being of both the student and patient by minimizing the risk of transmission of infectious diseases.

If you’ll be studying a health science discipline you will need to be up to date on all common vaccinations, such a:

  • Hepatitis B Vaccine
  • Hepatitis B Serology
  • Varicella Vaccine
  • Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis Vaccine
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccine
  • Influenza Vaccine
  • Tuberculosis screening

Programs like veterinary medicine will have their own unique requirements, such as Q-Fever.

Proof of these vaccines are often required in the form of an immunization record or a serology test, sometimes both. It is common for the university to provide you with a form you can have your family doctor complete.

It is important to note that some vaccinations require multiple doses over time. If you are not up to date on your immunizations, please ensure you provide yourself with enough time to complete these.

Police Checks

Having a police check may not only be necessary if you have clinical placements as part of your program, but it may also come in handy when looking to secure accommodation or a part time job!

We suggest that you obtain a police check from Canada before leaving for Australia. These can be obtained through your local police department and will not require fingerprints. Some health-related programs also require students to undergo a police check through an Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Accredited Agency prior to commencing clinical placement.

Working with Children

The Working with Children Check is legislated by each state and territory in Australia for the purpose of conducting background checks for people seeking to engage in child-related work, including students who will have placements, possibly with children.

These checks aim to prevent people from working or volunteering with children if records indicate that they may pose an unacceptable level of risk to children.

The check is commonly known as the WWCC in most states and territories in Australia except for Queensland, which is known as a Blue Card. Most students wait until they are in Australia before applying.

First Aid

Many health-related programs require students to complete First Aid and CPR requirements.

OzTREKK and most of our universities recommend that students complete these certifications upon their arrival to Australia. This is mainly because Australia’s first aid courses will include components covering venomous animals that are not typically found in Canada. The most common First Aid course we find students completing across all programs is called HLTAID011 Provide First Aid offered by the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance.

We hope this information helps to answer some of your compliance questions and leaves you feeling more prepared to complete this step of your predeparture journey. Your school will be in direct contact with you with detailed instructions when it comes time for you to complete these.