Preparing allied health students for placement: a contrast of learning modalities for foundational skill development
Preparing allied health students for placement: a contrast of learning modalities for foundational skill development
Background: with increasing pressure on placement capacity for allied health students, a need for novel and creative means through which students can develop foundational skills and prepare for practice-based learning opportunities has arisen. This study aimed to explore the experiences of domestic and international first-year students completing pre-clinical preparation programs, contrasting between in-person simulation and online options to contribute to best practice evidence for program design and delivery.
Methods: first-year students from physiotherapy, podiatry and occupational therapy self-selected to either a one-weeklong in-person simulation program or an online preparation for placement program. An integrative mixed-methods approach was employed. Qualitative findings from student focus groups were analyzed by reflexive thematic analysis and complemented by quantitative pre-post questionnaires which were examined for patterns of findings.
Results: there were 53 student participants in the study (simulation n = 29; online n = 24). Self-selecting, international students disproportionately opted for the simulation program while older students disproportionately selected the online program. Students appeared to benefit more from the simulation program than the online program, with alignment of focus group findings to the quantitative questionnaire data. The in-person simulation allowed students to apply their learning and practice patient communication. All simulation students reported asubsequent increase in confidence, although this seemed particularly marked for the international students. By contrast, the online program was most effective at developing students' clinical reasoning and proficiency with documentation. Both programs faced minor challenges to student perceived relevance and skill development.
Conclusion: both online and in-person simulation preparation programs were perceived to enhance readiness and foundational skills development for novice allied health students, with the practical nature of simulation generating more advantageous findings. This study provides useful information on the benefits and challenges of both types of delivery for foundational skills development and/or clinical preparation of allied health students.
allied health students, clinical placement, occupational therapy, online learning, physiotherapy, podiatry, simulation-based education
Rossiter, Laura
09f691e1-20ab-4675-98cc-069a27b77320
Turk, Ruth
985d334a-d337-48a6-a112-0665b82d78aa
Judd, Belinda
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Brentnall, Jennie
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Grimmett, Chloe
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Cowley, Emma
51301378-6b0c-4e3d-ab2a-037485c40275
McCormick, Keith
95d56eea-74aa-4b48-b950-ab8207e57d08
Thackray, Deborah
4336a819-2b42-42bd-863b-2b074b977522
15 March 2023
Rossiter, Laura
09f691e1-20ab-4675-98cc-069a27b77320
Turk, Ruth
985d334a-d337-48a6-a112-0665b82d78aa
Judd, Belinda
9aa8204e-5667-4104-9086-6b082033d1ca
Brentnall, Jennie
1ab5783b-e747-4d21-b0cd-dda27710a554
Grimmett, Chloe
7f27e85b-2850-481d-a7dd-2835e1a925cd
Cowley, Emma
51301378-6b0c-4e3d-ab2a-037485c40275
McCormick, Keith
95d56eea-74aa-4b48-b950-ab8207e57d08
Thackray, Deborah
4336a819-2b42-42bd-863b-2b074b977522
Rossiter, Laura, Turk, Ruth, Judd, Belinda, Brentnall, Jennie, Grimmett, Chloe, Cowley, Emma, McCormick, Keith and Thackray, Deborah
(2023)
Preparing allied health students for placement: a contrast of learning modalities for foundational skill development.
BMC Medical Education, 23 (1), [161].
(doi:10.1186/s12909-023-04086-7).
Abstract
Background: with increasing pressure on placement capacity for allied health students, a need for novel and creative means through which students can develop foundational skills and prepare for practice-based learning opportunities has arisen. This study aimed to explore the experiences of domestic and international first-year students completing pre-clinical preparation programs, contrasting between in-person simulation and online options to contribute to best practice evidence for program design and delivery.
Methods: first-year students from physiotherapy, podiatry and occupational therapy self-selected to either a one-weeklong in-person simulation program or an online preparation for placement program. An integrative mixed-methods approach was employed. Qualitative findings from student focus groups were analyzed by reflexive thematic analysis and complemented by quantitative pre-post questionnaires which were examined for patterns of findings.
Results: there were 53 student participants in the study (simulation n = 29; online n = 24). Self-selecting, international students disproportionately opted for the simulation program while older students disproportionately selected the online program. Students appeared to benefit more from the simulation program than the online program, with alignment of focus group findings to the quantitative questionnaire data. The in-person simulation allowed students to apply their learning and practice patient communication. All simulation students reported asubsequent increase in confidence, although this seemed particularly marked for the international students. By contrast, the online program was most effective at developing students' clinical reasoning and proficiency with documentation. Both programs faced minor challenges to student perceived relevance and skill development.
Conclusion: both online and in-person simulation preparation programs were perceived to enhance readiness and foundational skills development for novice allied health students, with the practical nature of simulation generating more advantageous findings. This study provides useful information on the benefits and challenges of both types of delivery for foundational skills development and/or clinical preparation of allied health students.
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s12909-023-04086-7
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Published date: 15 March 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This work was funded by the Health Education England Southeast Clinical Placement Expansion Programme (CPEP) 2020-21.
We thank the students who participated in the study and the clinical educators who were involved in the simulation programme design and delivery. We acknowledge the following staff from Health Sciences who contributed to the funding application, or the design and delivery of the programmes. William Edwards, Mandy Fader, Cheryl Metcalf, Rachel Dadswell, Karen Witt, Sarah Mcginley and John Vear. We thank Carrie Hamilton, Director of SimComm Academy Ltd, for training and the actor role players for their assistance with delivering the simulation scenarios.
Keywords:
allied health students, clinical placement, occupational therapy, online learning, physiotherapy, podiatry, simulation-based education
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 477659
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/477659
ISSN: 1472-6920
PURE UUID: 2f8fc2bb-6cc1-4a28-9d3b-94403f220d46
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Date deposited: 12 Jun 2023 16:47
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:54
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Contributors
Author:
Laura Rossiter
Author:
Ruth Turk
Author:
Belinda Judd
Author:
Jennie Brentnall
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