The diversity of work-based learning in the School of Health Sciences Authors: Dr Mary Hannon-Fletcher and Dr Patricia McClure, School of Health Sciences Introduction The School of Health Sciences is one of the oldest Allied Health Professional (AHP) academic schools in the United Kingdom, with a distinguished history of producing graduates who then become leaders in research, health services and education. The School delivers 6 AHP BSc (Hons) 3-year courses (Table 1); each course has to comply with the Health and Care Professions Council’s (HCPC) standards of education and training (SETs). These are the standards against which the HCPC assess education and training courses. Students who successfully complete these courses meet the HCPC standards of proficiency and are then eligible to apply to the HCPC for registration. In addition to the HCPC requirements for approval, each of the courses has professional body competencies that must also be met to permit the graduating students to practise in the UK. Practice education is a central part of the total curriculum of the AHP courses and is acknowledged as the most powerful learning experience during pre-registration education. The regulatory and professional bodies have set very detailed and specific requirements for practice based learning, in terms of organization, delivery and content. This provides a very broad range of work-based learning (WBL) opportunities for our students. Course BSc Hons Occupational Therapy College of Occupational Therapists Chartered Society of Physiotherapy BSc Hons Podiatry Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists BSc Hons Radiotherapy and Oncology BSc Hons Speech and Language Therapy Week SEM ESTER 1 1 September 2 6 7 8 9 10 December - to promote professional competence; - to provide opportunities for students to work with patients and clients; - to provide opportunities for students to integrate theoretical & practical learning; - to facilitate consolidation of students’ previous learning; - to offer students the opportunity to experience new theoretical learning and practical learning; - to promote the development of students’ clinical reasoning and judgement; - to promote reflection on, and analysis of experience and practice; - to facilitate multi-professional collaboration. RAD P2 OT PPP4 Students are required to complete a minimum of 1000 hours of professional practice placements during their course. Placements are gained in a variety of settings throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland including hospitals, community settings, special schools, clinics and role emerging settings. There are opportunities for elective placements outside the UK in the final year. 7 wks 4 wks 6 wks RAD orient SEMESTER 2 1 January 2 OT PPP5 OT orient PT orient 2 wks Pod orient 3 OT PPP2 4 5 6 7 PT CP2 6 wks 8 wks RAD P4 16 wks EASTER Mar/April (plus 2 weeks Easter holiday) 8 9 10 11 12 Pod Clinical Practice Development 2 wks REVISION OT PPP3 SLT 11 wks Pod PP3 8 wks PT CP5 6 wks 8 wks EXAMS SEMESTER 3 1 June 2 3 SUMMER VACATION 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 OT PPP 14 wks PT CP1 RAD P1 5 wks Pod PP2 4 wks 8 wks RAD P3 8 wks Methods Pod PP1 PT CP4 12 EXAMS Table 1. AHP Courses and Professional Bodies Practice education exposes students to the culture of their profession and enables them to become socialised into the profession. The main aims of practice education identified through research and practice within the professional literature are: Year 3 CHRISTMAS Society and College of Radiographers Objectives Year 2 6 wks 11 Society and College of Radiographers Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Year 1 3 4 5 Professional Body BSc Hons Physiotherapy BSc Hons Diagnostic Radiography & Imaging Month PT CP3 6 wks REGISTRATION New academic year begins Table 2. Professional Practice Placement (PPP) opportunities in AHP courses in Health Sciences In the practice setting, knowledge and skills are extended by active learning under supervision. Practice educators act as facilitators of student learning. The principles of adult learning are encouraged with the student being responsible for the acquisition and management of their own learning. A range of independent learning strategies such as enquiry based learning, individual and group project work, case studies and caseload management are used to facilitate this process. The sequence of placements is interspersed throughout each of the three-year courses (Table 2) to encourage integration and consolidation of learning in academic studies at the University with new experiential learning gained during practice placements. This scheduling also provides many opportunities to facilitate inter-professional learning alongside a number of professional groups in the practice setting. Students are required to reflect upon and evaluate their inter-professional experiences as part of the assessment strategy for professional practice placement. (Occupational Therapy (OT), Physiotherapy (PT), Podiatry (Pod), Radiography (RAD), and Speech & Language Therapy (SLT). Periods of overlap are demonstrated within Table 2. Within the BSc Hons Podiatry programme, students also gain ‘hands on’ practice experience within the University’s on-site clinic. This enables them to gain essential professional practice skills in preparation for their placements within the NHS. Assessment Each placement experience is a specific module with set learning outcomes, credit and assessment. Students’ performance on placement is assessed at a level appropriate for their stage of learning. The students are provided with a list of placement objectives which correspond with the learning outcomes documented in their Halfway Report and Final Report for each level of placement. These focus on professional behavior and competence to practise. The learning outcomes on the placement report forms reflect the HCPC Standards of Proficiency; the QAA Benchmark Standards; and the standards of the professional bodies. The aims of assessment are: • To provide feedback to the student on his/her performance; • To help the student and the practice educator to identify strengths and weaknesses and modify learning as required; and • To assess professional competence to practise. It is recommended that students have a formal supervision session once per week and they also receive ongoing feedback throughout the placement. Marking guidelines and grade descriptors are provided to facilitate practice educators in assessing the students and also to attempt to ensure that comparable standards are achieved across the diverse range of practice settings in which the students undertake their professional practice placements. Conclusion Practice education is a process of work based learning which involves an effective working partnership between the university, the practice educator and the student in the practice setting. The School provides a wide range of placement experiences all of which meet the requirements of the regulatory (HCPC) and the professional bodies. When students successfully complete their course, they do so with excellent work based learning experiences which ensures they are fit for practice, purpose and award. References Health and Care Professions Council (2012) Standards of education and training. London: HCPC. ulster.ac.uk P.McClure/Hannon- Fletcher poster .indd 1 27/04/2015 11:51
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