Preceptorship beginning and provides practitioners with the skills required to continue to adopt this philosophy throughout their professional career .
The POPPIES model and framework ensures that all band five occupational therapists have access to the support required each time they rotate into a new position . It reinforces the opinion that the opportunity to shadow others , provision of monthly supervision and regular appraisal is essential for learning , staff wellbeing , retention and development .
Evaluation and feedback
At six months we evaluated the band five occupational therapists ’ experience of POPPIES using anonymised questionnaire : 71 % of respondents reported that they had started to complete their POPPIES with 29 % reporting they had yet to do so .
Of those who had commenced their POPPIES : 81 % found that the model and framework enabled them to identify their learning needs ; and 91 % reported that the completion of the observed sessions and subsequent reflections supported the development of their clinical reasoning skills .
The results of the questionnaire would suggest that the POPPIES model and framework has been successful in supporting us to achieve our aims .
All band five occupational therapists within CTMUHB have had the support and opportunities to identify and achieve clear learning objectives and develop both their clinical and nonclinical skills in every setting .
Going forward , we are aiming to develop POPPIES Champions on all sites that can provide practical and timely support to both supervisors and supervisees in the implementation of POPPIES .
We are also aiming to adapt and implement the POPPIES model and framework with both rotational and static band six occupational therapists .
Prior to the implementation of this model , many clinicians – both band five and senior – were under the impression that the development of leadership skills and the use of the evidence base and clinical audit were the domain of senior occupational therapists .
By promoting and embedding these professional skills in the development of our band five five occupational therapists , we are not only setting the tone for their learning and approach to service improvement and research , but also promoting and embedding this culture among our wider occupational therapy workforce .
Kolb DA ( 1984 ) Experiential learning : experience as the source of learning and development . Englewood Cliffs , NJ : Prentice Hall .
Words RACHAEL GDESIS-EVANS , Deputy Head Occupational Therapist , and JOANNE SANTOS MATTHEWS , Principal Occupational Therapist , Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
By promoting and embedding these professional skills in the development of our band five five occupational therapists , we are not only setting the tone for their learning and approach to service improvement and research , but also promoting and embedding this culture among our wider occupational therapy workforce .”
February 2022 OTnews 45