File
O'Donnell M1, O'Connor A1
1University of Limerick, School of Allied Health, Limerick, Ireland
Background: Service provision and education of health professionals has diversified with the shift in healthcare focus to primary care. Current evidence, particularly in physiotherapy education, has identified shortfalls in practical experience and education provided for health promotion. To address this need, practice placements in non-traditional settings, involving healthy populations, have been recommended; however there is limited evidence or guidance to support this innovation. This study aimed to address this gap by developing, implementing and evaluating a pilot model of a community-based, student-led placement involving physiotherapy undergraduate students and community-based groups. The placement ran for five weeks and four final year undergraduate physiotherapy students participated at a time. Community groups involved included; primary schools, after-schools clubs, men's shed and older persons' community groups, and various disability groups.
Purpose: The aims of the study were to explore students' perceptions of the learning experience and the benefits and challenges of this placement model in comparison to traditional physiotherapy placements and to determine students', service users' and community facilitators' perceptions of the value and sustainability of this placement model.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was employed.Information sheets explaining the nature and purpose of the study were emailed to students, community service users and facilitators after the placement had ran for two successive years. Interested parties were contacted and interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were employed with students for accessibility reasons. Focus groups were chosen for community service users and facilitators due to scheduling constraints. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Two themes were identified following data analysis; 1) Collaborative learning and 2) Embracing change. The first theme refers to the mutual and shared learning experience that occurred between the student and community groups during this placement. The acquisition of professional skills such as leadership, team work and adaptability was perceived to be greater on this placement than on traditional placements. The second theme identifies challenges and facilitators that presented during this placement, providing areas for future consideration relating to the model's sustainability.
Conclusion(s): This student-led community-based initiative was determined to be a feasible model of practice education, addressing requirements to include health promotion education in health care curricula Student-led community-based placements can also provide positive change to health and well-being for community service users. This model provides a valuable placement opportunity for physiotherapy students while fostering desirable graduate attributes.
Implications: Evaluation of this model highlighted issues related to its sustainability including prioritisation of service user needs over academically founded desires. Clear areas for development and further research were identified including evaluation of long-term outcomes of similar projects.
Keywords: Practice Education, Placement model, Community based
Funding acknowledgements: No funding received.
Purpose: The aims of the study were to explore students' perceptions of the learning experience and the benefits and challenges of this placement model in comparison to traditional physiotherapy placements and to determine students', service users' and community facilitators' perceptions of the value and sustainability of this placement model.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was employed.Information sheets explaining the nature and purpose of the study were emailed to students, community service users and facilitators after the placement had ran for two successive years. Interested parties were contacted and interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were employed with students for accessibility reasons. Focus groups were chosen for community service users and facilitators due to scheduling constraints. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Two themes were identified following data analysis; 1) Collaborative learning and 2) Embracing change. The first theme refers to the mutual and shared learning experience that occurred between the student and community groups during this placement. The acquisition of professional skills such as leadership, team work and adaptability was perceived to be greater on this placement than on traditional placements. The second theme identifies challenges and facilitators that presented during this placement, providing areas for future consideration relating to the model's sustainability.
Conclusion(s): This student-led community-based initiative was determined to be a feasible model of practice education, addressing requirements to include health promotion education in health care curricula Student-led community-based placements can also provide positive change to health and well-being for community service users. This model provides a valuable placement opportunity for physiotherapy students while fostering desirable graduate attributes.
Implications: Evaluation of this model highlighted issues related to its sustainability including prioritisation of service user needs over academically founded desires. Clear areas for development and further research were identified including evaluation of long-term outcomes of similar projects.
Keywords: Practice Education, Placement model, Community based
Funding acknowledgements: No funding received.
Topic: Education: clinical; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University of Limerick
Ethics committee: EHS Etics Committee
Ethics number: 2015_03_11
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
