Midwifery professional placement: Undergraduate students' experiences with novice and expert preceptors.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, increased midwifery university places have been offered to address midwifery workforce shortages. As a result, more graduate midwives entered the workforce, in turn leading to more midwifery students precepted by novice midwives when on professional placement. It is not known whether this more junior midwifery workforce impacts student experience. AIMS: To explore undergraduate midwifery students' experiences with novice and expert midwifery preceptors, and to identify the benefits and challenges of working with novice and expert preceptors, from the perspective of undergraduate student midwives. METHOD: This study used a qualitative descriptive approach. Nineteen third/fourth-year Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) students attended six focus groups (ranging from 2 to 5 participants). Data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Three overarching themes were identified: 'Building relationships'; 'Teaching and learning'; and 'Improvements to professional placement'. Benefits and challenges existed with both novice and expert preceptors. Importantly, feeling welcomed and receiving critical feedback were identified. CONCLUSION: The student/preceptor relationship is based upon feeling welcomed, and relatability, and is developed more easily with novice preceptors. Expert preceptors provide insightful and valuable feedback and are more able to actively teach. Novice preceptors' consolidation of practice can impact student learning opportunities. Including students in decision-making aids development of critical thinking. Allocation practices which address student learning needs will improve the student professional practice experience. Midwifery students benefit from working with midwifery preceptors of all experience levels. Translating the findings from this project into preceptorship training programs for midwives will improve student satisfaction and outcomes.

Not letting a good crisis go to waste - learnings from a fully online professional placement.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physiotherapy education meant that innovative responses were needed quickly. This paper describes a scholarly approach to changes within an entry-level physiotherapy program where one of its clinical placements was replaced with a fully online unit during 2020, as well as exploring the experiences of students who completed this newly developed online unit. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was used. Sixteen of a possible 31 students responded to an online survey comprising quantitative and open-ended questions. RESULTS: The majority of participants were satisfied with the unit and reported that: the unit helped them to learn valuable skills; feedback from educators was helpful; and that they were able to apply to future contexts. Small numbers of students were more ambivalent about the use of online media and tools including discussion boards, the workload and being part of a learning community. CONCLUSION: The online unit described in this research is evidence that non-traditional forms of clinical education might also address clinically important learning outcomes, provide sustainable options and alleviate some of the stresses that both tertiary providers and healthcare settings endure. However, these types of placement experiences require a paradigm shift from educators, the profession, accrediting bodies and even future students.

Understanding the elements of a quality rural/remote interprofessional education activity: A rough guide.

AIMS: To offer a rough guide to a quality rural/remote interprofessional educational activity. CONTEXT: Australian remote and rural interprofessional undergraduate placements offered in Modified Monash Model 3-6 locations. APPROACH: Biggs' triple P framework from the interprofessional educational literature and Allport's contact hypothesis are used to describe map, and explore the educational dimensions and positive elements, of a quality rural/remote interprofessional educational activity. CONCLUSION: Delivery of a quality interprofessional educational activity requires attention to all dimensions of the activity with acknowledgement of the value of the remote or rural contexts. Interprofessional learning requires constructive alignment and positive contact conditions to ensure a quality and sustained experience.

International students in professional placements: supervision strategies for positive learning experiences.

BACKGROUND: Professional placements are critical elements of speech-language pathology qualifying programmes that can be complex learning environments for international students. Students are supported by placement educators who facilitate their developing skills and competencies for professional practice in these placements. However, strategies that facilitate international students' learning in placements have not been identified. AIMS: To identify strategies that are reported by speech-language pathology international students and placement educators to facilitate positive learning experiences and competency development in practice placements. METHODS & PROCEDURES: This study used an exploratory research design to gather data from four focus groups with international students and five focus groups with placement educators. Thematic analysis was used to identify strategies, and these were interpreted using two theories of learning. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Four themes were identified that described international students' placement experiences and learning. For each theme, strategies were identified that placement educators can practically and responsively implement with international students to enable positive placement learning experiences. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: These strategies support international students to manage acculturative adjustments for the cultural and learning requirements of placements that may facilitate their successful participation, and provide structure to reduce their cognitive load. However, strategies to develop communication skills for practice were less feasible. Through fostering positive placement experiences, these strategies may also facilitate opportunities for educators and international students to share intercultural skills and knowledge that may be transferable to practice.

Analysis of needs and processes: social skills program for unemployed people with disabilities / Análise de necessidades e processo: programa de habilidades sociais para desempregados com deficiência / Análisis de necesidades y proceso: programa de habilidades sociales para desempleados con discapacidad

This study evaluated indicators of needs and processes in a social skills program for unemployed people with physical disabilities. The needs assessment - measured via self-reporting instruments - indicated the importance of preparing participants for job interviews and improving some social skills related to work, which would serve as a basis for the definition of the program's objectives. The skills developed in the program were as follows: civility, feedback, communication, empathy, offering help, citizenship, assertiveness, dealing with criticism, problem solving, job interview performance, and expressing positive feelings. For the process evaluation, the program's sessions were filmed and analyzed using indicators such as task performance. This study showed the importance of planning a program that considers the characteristics of the participants and of continuously monitoring its application to ensure the suitability of the intervention and the achievement of its objectives. (AU)

Este estudo avaliou indicadores de necessidades e de processo em um programa de habilidades sociais para pessoas com deficiência física, desempregadas. A avaliação de necessidades, mensurada por meio de instrumentos de autorrelato, indicou a importância de preparar os participantes para entrevistas de emprego e de aprimorar algumas habilidades sociais relacionadas ao trabalho, servindo como base para a definição dos objetivos do programa. As habilidades desenvolvidas no programa foram: civilidade, feedback, comunicação, empatia, oferecer ajuda, cidadania, assertividade, lidar com críticas, resolução de problemas, desempenho em entrevista de emprego e expressão de sentimento positivo. Para a avaliação de processo, as sessões do programa foram filmadas e analisadas por meio de um registro que continha indicadores como desempenhos nas tarefas. Este estudo mostrou a importância de planejar um programa considerando as características dos participantes e monitorar continuamente sua aplicação para garantir a adequação da intervenção e o alcance de seus objetivos. (AU)

El presente estudio evaluó indicadores de necesidades y proceso en un programa de habilidades sociales para personas con discapacidad física y desempleadas. La evaluación de necesidades, medida por instrumentos de autoinforme, señaló la importancia de preparar los participantes para entrevistas de empleo y mejorar algunas habilidades sociales relacionadas con el trabajo, sirviendo como base para la definición de los objetivos del programa. Las habilidades desarrolladas en el programa fueron: civilidad, feedback, comunicación, empatía, ofrecer ayuda, ciudadanía, asertividad, lidiar con críticas, solución de problemas, desempeño en entrevistas de empleo y expresión de sentimiento positivo. Para evaluación de proceso, las sesiones del programa fueron filmadas y analizadas mediante un registro que contenía indicadores como el desempeño en las tareas. Este estudio mostró la importancia de planear un programa considerando las características de los participantes y controlando su aplicación para garantizar la adecuación de la intervención y el alcance de sus objetivos. (AU)

Assessing levels of student nurse learning in community based health placement with vulnerable families: Knowledge development for future clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Community services work with vulnerable families to assist them to link with health, education and welfare services. Community placements provide nursing students with understandings of the health impacts of social circumstances on broad population's. Nurses provide health care for vulnerable populations so it is important for students to gain experience in dealing with various population groups in a variety of settings. Community placements can increase student confidence to provide care for all people in the acute care setting. OBJECTIVES: The research project explored the use of a community placement to assist nursing students in applying psychosocial theories to practice; determining the affect of nursing students to the community service; and if the learning achieved in the placement was applicable to their future nursing practice were also objectives of the research. DESIGN: The mixed methods design used placement suitability focused questionnaires, and student, staff and clinical supervisor one-to-one interviews. SETTINGS: In 2015 a community based homelessness service which provides a home visiting service approached the School of Nursing and Midwifery to provide a community placement for nursing students. The urban homelessness service caters for 350 homeless clients per month. PARTICIPANTS: Eight second year nursing students and six fulltime homelessness staff, mainly social workers, participated in the surveys and interviews. METHODS: Nursing students were 'buddied' with a social worker and visited individuals and families recently placed in emergency housing. The student nurses (8) and homelessness staff (6) were surveyed and interviewed about their knowledge, skills and perceptions about the value of community based placements. RESULTS: Findings indicate student's recognition of the skills to be learned in a non-acute setting are applicable to all clinical settings and enhance student knowledge and potential future care. The staff in the homelessness service espouse the enhancement provided by the expertise of the nursing students working with vulnerable populations. This paper highlights the benefits as perceived by students on often undervalued community based placements. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential that universities collaborate with industry and consumers to ensure that the undergraduate programs offer a high standard of care and address current trends in the health care industry. There is a growing need for workforce development in primary healthcare and an increased understanding about how adversity can lead to ill health.

Undergraduate paramedic student psychomotor skills in an obstetric setting: An evaluation.

The clinical education of paramedic students is an international concern. In Australia, student placements are commonly undertaken with local district ambulance services, however these placements are increasingly limited. Clinical placements within inter-professional settings represent an innovative yet underdeveloped area of investigation. This paper addresses that gap by reporting a pilot evaluation of paramedic student clinical placements in a specialised obstetrics setting. Using a case study approach, the evaluation aimed to identify paramedic psychomotor skills that could be practised in this setting, and understand the nature of key learning events. A purposive sample of paramedic students was recruited following completion of the obstetrics placement. A combination of student reflection and assessed psychomotor skills data were collected from clinical placement logs. Content analysis of all data was conducted inductively and deductively, as appropriate. Findings indicated a comprehensive range of psychomotor skills can be practised in this setting, with over thirty psychomotor skills identified directly related to the paramedic curriculum; and seven psychomotor skills indirectly related. The themes finding confidence in maternity care, watching the experts, and putting theory into practice provide narrative insight into the clinical learning experience of paramedic students in this setting. Further research is recommended to build upon this pilot.

The Impact of Structured Inter-professional Education on Health Care Professional Students' Perceptions of Collaboration in a Clinical Setting.

PURPOSE: To examine how a structured inter-professional education (IPE) clinical placement influences health care professional (HCP) students' perceptions of inter-professional collaboration (IPC) relative to that of students in a traditional clinical placement. METHODS: This study used a mixed-methods design. The Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) was administered to HCP students (n=36) in two Toronto hospitals before and after a structured 5-week IPE clinical placement to examine changes in their perceptions of IPC. Students in a traditional clinical placement (n=28) were used as a control group. Focus groups were then conducted with seven students who took part in the structured IPE clinical placement. A coding framework was devised a priori, and the qualitative results were used to explain the quantitative findings. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between groups after the structured IPE clinical placement, but the intervention group showed a greater positive trend in total IEPS scores from baseline to follow-up. Qualitative data suggest that students valued the knowledge and skills gained through the structured IPE clinical placement. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that structured IPE clinical placements may provide students with valuable collaborative learning opportunities, enhanced respect for other professionals, and insight into the value of IPC in healthcare delivery. More research is needed to explore other factors that influence specific perceptions among physical therapy students.Purpose: To examine how a structured inter-professional education (IPE) clinical placement influences health care professional (HCP) students' perceptions of inter-professional collaboration (IPC) relative to that of students in a traditional clinical placement. Methods: This study used a mixed-methods design. The Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) was administered to HCP students (n=36) in two Toronto hospitals before and after a structured 5-week IPE clinical placement to examine changes in their perceptions of IPC. Students in a traditional clinical placement (n=28) were used as a control group. Focus groups were then conducted with seven students who took part in the structured IPE clinical placement. A coding framework was devised a priori, and the qualitative results were used to explain the quantitative findings. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between groups after the structured IPE clinical placement, but the intervention group showed a greater positive trend in total IEPS scores from baseline to follow-up. Qualitative data suggest that students valued the knowledge and skills gained through the structured IPE clinical placement. Conclusions: Findings suggest that structured IPE clinical placements may provide students with valuable collaborative learning opportunities, enhanced respect for other professionals, and insight into the value of IPC in healthcare delivery. More research is needed to explore other factors that influence specific perceptions among physical therapy students.

RÉSUMÉ Objectif : Analyser comment un stage clinique en formation interprofessionnelle structuré peut influencer les perceptions des étudiants professionnels de la santé face à la collaboration interprofessionnelle, en comparaison avec celles des étudiants qui réalisent un stage clinique traditionnel. Méthodes : Des méthodes mixtes ont été utilisées. L'échelle de perception en éducation interdisciplinaire (IEPS) a été administrée aux étudiants professionnels de la santé de deux hôpitaux de Toronto (n=36) avant et après un stage clinique en formation interprofessionnelle de 5 semaines afin d'analyser les changements dans leur perception de la collaboration interprofessionnelle. Les étudiants en stage clinique traditionnel (n=28) ont été utilisés comme groupe de contrôle. Des groupes de discussion ont ensuite été organisés avec sept étudiants qui ont participé au stage clinique interprofessionnel. Une structure de codage a d'abord été conçue, et les résultats qualitatifs ont été utilisés pour expliquer les conclusions quantitatives. Résultats : Il n'y a pas eu de différences statistiques entre les groupes après le stage clinique interdisciplinaire, mais le groupe d'intervention a démontré une tendance plus positive dans l'échelle IEPS (Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale, ou échelle de perception en éducation interdisciplinaire) entre le début du stage et le suivi. Les données qualitatives suggèrent que les étudiants étaient sensibles à la valeur des connaissances et des habiletés acquises dans le cadre du stage interprofessionnel structuré. Conclusions : Les conclusions suggèrent que les stages cliniques en formation interprofessionnelle structurés peuvent faire en sorte que les étudiants bénéficient de possibilités d'apprentissage interprofessionnel valables, acquièrent plus de respect pour les autres professionnels et soient plus conscients de la valeur de la collaboration interprofessionnelle dans la prestation de soins. Plus de recherches seront nécessaires pour explorer d'autres facteurs susceptibles d'influencer les perceptions précises des étudiants en physiothérapie.