The Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand > The Practice of Physiotherapy

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Physiotherapists

The Practice of Physiotherapy

General Scope of Practice: Physiotherapist
Position Statement: Physiotherapist Practising in a Defined Field of Interest
Special Purpose Scopes of Practice
Qualifications Prescribed For Registration in a Scope of Practice
Competencies

Pursuant to section 11(1) of the HPCA Act the Board specifies three scopes of practice as follows:

Scope of Practice - Physiotherapist (Known as the general scope of practice)
Scope of Practice - Visiting Physiotherapy Presenter/Educator
Scope of Practice - Postgraduate Physiotherapy Student.

General Scope of Practice: Physiotherapist

Physiotherapy provides services to individuals and populations to develop, maintain, restore and optimise health and function throughout the lifespan. This includes providing services to people compromised by ageing, injury, disease or environmental factors. Physiotherapy identifies and maximises quality of life and movement potential by using the principles of promotion, prevention, treatment/intervention, habilitation and rehabilitation. This encompasses physical, psychological, emotional, and social well being.

Physiotherapy involves the interaction between physiotherapists, patients/clients, other health professionals, families/whanau, care givers, and communities. This is a people-centred process where needs are assessed and goals are agreed using the knowledge and skills of physiotherapists.

Physiotherapists are registered health practitioners who are educated to practise autonomously by applying scientific knowledge and clinical reasoning to assess, diagnose and manage human function.
The practice of physiotherapy is not confined to clinical practice, and encompasses all roles that a physiotherapist may assume such as patient/client care, health management, research, policy making, educating and consulting, wherever there may be an issue of public health and safety.

The full Gazette notice is available at: The New Zealand Gazette

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Position Statement: Physiotherapist Practising in a Defined Field of Interest

"A physiotherapist with an interest in a defined field is deemed to be competent to practise in that field or area of practice when they demonstrate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with reasoned supporting evidence in that area of practice.

It is the physiotherapist's responsibility to ensure that they work within their scope of practice, have professional support and mentoring structures in place and meet their ethical obligations.

The overriding principle in this decision is the health and safety of the public."

The approach the Board has taken is one of self-regulation. The physiotherapist must have relevant training and education to include a defined interest in their practice. It is the responsibility of the physiotherapist to ensure that their CPD activities support their defined field or area of practice. By meeting these requirements they are deemed competent in that area of practice.
"Reasoned supporting evidence" may include for an example, a course certificate from a paediatric neurology workshop or a postgraduate diploma course in sports physiotherapy. The supporting evidence would be evaluated by a peer of the physiotherapist to ensure, for example, that the course is relevant to that specific area of practice.

A physiotherapist may undertake a brief self-evaluation process to get a perspective on how safe and competent they are to practise in their specific area.

Is my education recognised by my peers as being adequate?

Have I undertaken appropriate training in my defined field of interest
Note: with regard to either of the above points if in doubt contact the New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists, the relevant special interest group or the Board

Have I continued to update my knowledge around the specific area of practice?

Have I ensured that I do not work in isolation in my defined field of interest. i.e. I am not isolated from peer input, mentoring and review

Would I be covered by my Public Liability Insurance? (Practitioners may need to contact their respective insurance companies.)

In answering these questions the physiotherapist needs to consider how confident would they would be in defending their position if an adverse event occurred. Practitioners should balance both the known benefit and the known harm of a treatment or modality before incorporating it into their practice.

If the Board does receive a complaint then under the Board's complaints handling process, experts in the field will be consulted. The expert advisors will consider whether the CPD activities undertaken are appropriate and support the practitioner's practice rationale.

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Special Purpose Scopes of Practice

In addition to the general scope the Board prescribes special purpose scopes: Visiting Physiotherapy Presenter/ Educator and Postgraduate Physiotherapy Student.

Special purpose scope of practice: Visiting Physiotherapy Presenter/Educator

Persons who visit New Zealand for the purpose of presenting or educating in physiotherapy may be registered in New Zealand within the special purpose scope of practice for Visiting Physiotherapy Presenters/Educators, if:

they have physiotherapy experience relevant to the subject of the presentation/education; and
they are registered or recognised as being in good standing with an overseas organisation whose functions in principle correspond to those of the Physiotherapy Board; and
they are invited for the purpose of presenting or educating by a New Zealand organisation/institution.

The special purpose scope restricts physiotherapy activities to the presenting and/or educating activities described in the application. It does not include any clinical practice involving the public or any activity that may pose a risk to public health and safety. Registration within the special purpose scope of practice will be for a limited time (usually for one month) from the requested commencement date.

Gazetted 27 August 2009.

The full Gazette notice is available at: The New Zealand Gazette

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Special purpose scope of Practice: Postgraduate Physiotherapy Student

Persons who have gained their physiotherapy qualifications and are registered or recognised elsewhere than in New Zealand and visit New Zealand for the purpose of participating in physiotherapy postgraduate study at an educational institution/organisation approved by the Physiotherapy Board must be registered in New Zealand. One option is to register within the special purpose scope of practice for postgraduate physiotherapy students.

The special purpose scope of practice for postgraduate physiotherapy students comprises of physiotherapy services undertaken as part of the postgraduate study on which the application is based. It does not extend to clinical practice or any other activity outside the postgraduate study.

Registration within the special purpose scope of practice will be authorised for the duration of the postgraduate study and apply only to that postgraduate study.

Gazetted 27 August 2009.

The full Gazette notice is available at: The New Zealand Gazette

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Qualifications Prescribed For Registration in a Scope of Practice

Physiotherapist Scope of Practice

Pursuant to section 12 of the HPCA Act, the following qualifications are prescribed for registration as a physiotherapist:

The Auckland University of Technology Bachelor of Health Science, BHSc (Physiotherapy); or
The Otago University Bachelor of Physiotherapy, BPhty; or
A pass in an assessment set by the Physiotherapy Board for persons holding a physiotherapy qualification gained overseas; or
Registration as a physiotherapist in any state or territory which is a participating jurisdiction under the provisions of the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.

Visiting Presenter / Educator Scope of Practice
Pursuant to section 12 of the HPCA Act, the following qualifications are prescribed for registration as a visiting presenter/educator:

Experience in the provision of health services of the particular kind being presented and/or taught.

Postgraduate Student Scope of Practice
Pursuant to section 12 of the HPCA Act, the following qualifications are prescribed for registration as a postgraduate student:

A pass in an assessment set by the Physiotherapy Board for persons holding a physiotherapy qualification gained overseas.
The full Gazette notice is available at: The New Zealand Gazette No.120
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Competencies

Please refer to Physiotherapy Competencies for physiotherapy practice in New Zealand, The Physiotherapy Board , Wellington, May 2009. To view the full document click here.

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