Using problem-based learning during student placements to embed theory in practice

Practice placements, a prominent part of the education of health and social care professionals, are strongly validated by theories of adult learning. Being situated in authentic workplaces in contact with people in need, motivation to learn is strong. However, it is not always easy for students to realise the knowledge that practitioners are using in the setting, as it becomes tacit. Problem-based learning (PBL) is a form of student-centred university teaching deliberately structured to support development of students' theoretical understanding, critical thinking, professional reasoning and team skills. PBL is recognised world-wide for its applicability to health and social science curricula, but to date its potential as a method to activate theoretical learning during placements has not been realised.The aim of this masterclass is to inspire and encourage placement educators and students to use PBL as an effective, enjoyable way to structure knowledge development during placement. The outcomes of this paper include appreciation of the rationale and stages of the PBL cycle in a practice environment, and sufficient understanding about how PBL can be used to embed theory in practice to give it a try. Case studies and supervision sessions need to be adjusted a little to explicitly include a self-directed learning stage to develop students' knowledge, illustrated here through a case example. Students identify their own learning needs to guide their independent learning, maximising use of placement time. PBL in practice settings is a flexible approach, applicable to one-to-one situations, with pairs, groups (including inter-professional), and within work-based learning for staff development

From Trepidation to Transformation: Strategies Used by Occupational Therapy Students on Role-Emerging Placements

To prepare graduates for the diverse practice contexts in which they may work in the future, role-emerging placements are increasingly being used within curricula. Literature highlights the benefits and challenges of such placements but there has been little research to examine how students manage and overcome these challenges. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to gain a deeper understanding of how five MSc pre-registration occupational therapy students coped with the challenges of undertaking a role-emerging placement. Interviews were carried out and analysed using IPA guidelines. The students utilised personal attributes, reflection, supervision, communities of practice, peer support and experiential learning to help them cope with, and overcome, the placement challenges. This enabled them to take ownership of their own learning and development, leading to positive placement outcomes. We conclude that students need to be encouraged to use and develop a range of strategies to overcome challenges of role-emerging placements. The findings build on existing accounts of students’ experiences of role-emerging placements by providing deeper insights into the strategies they use to help them manage such placements successfully. Recommendations for further research are highlighted. Suggestions for placement preparation to facilitate students’ coping strategies are made

‘Facing Uncharted Waters’: Challenges experienced by Occupational Therapy Students undertaking Role-emerging Placements

Role-emerging placements, which take place in settings where there are no on-site occupational therapy educators, are increasingly being used within occupational therapy curricula internationally. Although literature on such placements is increasing, little has explored the early stages and demands of such placements. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to gain an understanding of how five MSc pre-registration occupational therapy students experienced and ascribed meaning to their role-emerging placements. Interviews were carried out with the students within one month of their role-emerging placement. This article explores one of the themes that emerged from the study, ‘Thrown in’, that reflected the challenges students faced in the early days of their placement. Key findings revealed that students found the early stages of placement cognitively, emotionally and ontologically demanding. They felt temporarily lost, anxious and overwhelmed by their experience, which impacted on their sense of self. Recommendation is made that consideration is given to students’ ontological discomfort, or ‘sense of being’ on placement and pre-placement preparation

Role-emerging Placements: a Useful Model for Occupational Therapy Practice Education? A Review of the Literature

Changes in health and social care present exciting opportunities for occupational therapists in the United Kingdom to expand their practice into innovative settings. To prepare graduates for these opportunities, placement experiences must reflect current trends in practice. Role-emerging placements are increasingly being used within occupational therapy to help students develop the skills, knowledge and attributes needed to become the therapists of tomorrow. This paper provides an overview of the literature on the use of role-emerging placements within the profession by considering the current context of placements, the rationale for the development of role-emerging placements and their potential strengths and limitations. The paper aims to increase awareness in the UK of role-emerging placements and their potential value within health and social care education

From trepidation to transformation:strategies used by occupational therapy students on role-emerging placements

To prepare graduates for the diverse practice contexts in which they may work in the future, role-emerging placements are increasingly being used within curricula. Literature highlights the benefits and challenges of such placements but there has been little research to examine how students manage and overcome these challenges. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to gain a deeper understanding of how five MSc pre-registration occupational therapy students coped with the challenges of undertaking a role-emerging placement. Interviews were carried out and analysed using IPA guidelines. The students utilised personal attributes, reflection, supervision, communities of practice, peer support and experiential learning to help them cope with, and overcome, the placement challenges. This enabled them to take ownership of their own learning and development, leading to positive placement outcomes. We conclude that students need to be encouraged to use and develop a range of strategies to overcome challenges of role-emerging placements. The findings build on existing accounts of students’ experiences of role-emerging placements by providing deeper insights into the strategies they use to help them manage such placements successfully. Recommendations for further research are highlighted. Suggestions for placement preparation to facilitate students’ coping strategies are made

Return-to-work support for workers with mental health problems: identifying and responding to key challenges of sick leave

Introduction This research explored return-to-work and sick leave experiences of workers with mental health issues in contact with acute or community mental health services. Method Using a critical realist methodology with a comparative case study and collaborative design, 21 employed participants recovering from mental health problems participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic and constant comparative analysis. Findings While on sick leave, despite a range of challenges, participants treasured their work identities. They were sustained by positive and troubled by negative memories of work. People missed the routine of work and felt isolated. To varying degrees of success, they searched for alternative activities to fill this gap and promote recovery. Conclusion The need for sick leave was not disputed, but an important discovery was its iatrogenic (‘side-’) effects, whereby isolation and reduced activity levels could exacerbate mental health problems. Negative impacts of sick leave need to be mitigated by support to maintain worker identity and orientation and by opportunities and encouragement to sustain routine, activities and social contacts. A new concept of ‘occupational capital’ emerged, comprising accessible external opportunities and supports for occupational participation, and internal capacities and skills required to access these. </jats:sec

Bourdieu and interprofessional education: what’s the relevance?

Interprofessional education (IPE) is perceived to be one strategy to reduce professional compartmentalisation and improve collaborative practices. The unequal power relationsexisting between the various professions who need to collaborate for IPE remains largely unexamined and it is only in recent years that sociological theories have been employed within the interprofessional field. This paper uses selected findings from an exploratory case study into IPE conducted at the University of Malta and then examines these findings from a Bourdieusian perspective. The first part of this paper introduces the breath of theoretical perspectives employed for IPE and then goes on to provide an overview of Bourdieu’s theories of social practices. The second part outlines the context of this case study and presents selected findings. The third section discusses how these findings were examined using Bourdieu’s concepts helping us demystify the various ways in which health care professions worked and interacted, and how this all made sense within a wider societal context. It also highlights the relevance of taking into account Bourdieu’s concepts during the development of IPE

'Facing Uncharted Waters': Challenges experienced by Occupational Therapy Students undertaking Role-emerging Placements

Role-emerging placements, which take place in settings where there are no on-site occupational therapy educators, are increasingly being used within occupational therapy curricula internationally. Although literature on such placements is increasing, little has explored the early stages and demands of such placements. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to gain an understanding of how five MSc pre-registration occupational therapy students experienced and ascribed meaning to their role-emerging placements. Interviews were carried out with the students within one month of their role-emerging placement. This article explores one of the themes that emerged from the study, ‘Thrown in’, that reflected the challenges students faced in the early days of their placement. Key findings revealed that students found the early stages of placement cognitively, emotionally and ontologically demanding. They felt temporarily lost, anxious and overwhelmed by their experience, which impacted on their sense of self. Recommendation is made that consideration is given to students’ ontological discomfort, or ‘sense of being’ on placement and pre-placement preparation

Resilience at work

Abstract An ecological conceptualisation of resilience was one of the major orientating concepts for this doctoral research which used critical realist methodology to gain explanatory insight into the job retention challenges faced by employees recovering from mental health problems. Methods involved a literature review of qualitative job retention research, a comparative case study approach, and service user collaboration. One case study comprised seven employed people who were using acute mental health services. The second comparative case study comprised fourteen users of a community-based job retention project. Work mattered to people during recovery because of feelings of guilt about not working, and because some feared that work had, or could, exacerbate their mental health problems. Such fears co-existed with a strong sense that work was an important part of people&apos;s lives in terms of finance, social capital, occupational capital and personal capital. These assets were under threat, but they also had the potential to be deployed to support a resilient recovery. Participants were on complex and uncertain return-to-work journeys, facing a combination of internal and external obstacles. Barriers arose from the direct impacts of mental health problems, external and internalised stigma, job demands and the workplace environment -particularly relationships with colleagues and, above all, managers. Findings suggest that return-to-work trajectories are likely to be more successful and sustainable when such challenges are addressed. Broader implications were that occupational and ecological resilience perspectives can be integrated to help understand the challenges people with mental health problems encounter when seeking to retain employment