Meeting work experience expectations during a pandemic
Jane Harrison-Paul looks at the success of Nottingham University Hospitals ’ recent virtual work experience event
© GettyImages / SDI Productions
Work experience undoubtedly helps with
decision making when considering occupational therapy as a career . Universities understandably have an expectation that candidates for places will have gained a good understanding of the profession .
I certainly remember that work experience cemented my aspiration to become an occupational therapist , after an initial ‘ CASCAID ’ computer questionnaire had indicated that this career would most suit my personal attributes , skills and interests .
Historically , Nottingham University Hospitals ( NUH ) has offered a two-day work experience opportunity for people considering occupational therapy or physiotherapy as a profession , and we have enabled them to observe work in three different clinical areas .
The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that we have been unable to continue like this , so we sought to find a way that we could meet as many work experience expectations as possible . This would assist people with their career choices , but use an online platform , instead of our usual sessions , to comply with COVID-19 rules and regulations .
What did we do ? We were a mixture of occupational therapists , physiotherapists and dietitians from different clinical areas , which encompassed both adult and children ’ s services , and our multidisciplinary practice development team joined forces with clinicians in creating a virtual , interactive event .
We initially collaborated with our local work experience hub colleague , who regularly collates the applications for work experience . We were then able to connect with our target audience of prospective therapists and provided them with pre-event information .
The event was scheduled for an evening , to avoid any impact on clinical time and to enable people who might be working to attend . We used the Microsoft
Teams platform , and one clinician from each profession delivered the presentation , while Clare Logan , the project lead , chaired the event .
My role was to oversee and critique the event and to give additional information as required , while another colleague monitored the ‘ lobby ’, ‘ chat ’ and ‘ raised hand ’ functions .
Information was given about each profession , including short videos from colleagues where they talked about why they chose their profession and what they love about their job . We highlighted both the similarities and differences between the professions to help participants ’ understanding and decision making .
We did multidisciplinary team case study discussions , emphasising collaborative working , and used a ‘ Mentimeter ’ tool to allow the group to engage with the session in a safe and fun way .
There were regular opportunities for participants to ask questions and get advice . The presentation was emailed to participants on receipt of the session evaluation , so they could access the information resources .
How was it received ? We had very positive feedback from a small , but very engaged audience , who said that they appreciated the chance to interact with clinicians and ask questions .
Comments received included : ‘ The event gave me more motivation and an even more positive outlook on my future ’; ‘ Slides were great and [ it was a ] very interactive session [ where we were ] able to ask questions at regular intervals ’; and ‘[ It was ] a great alternative to work experience . It can still help with your choice and it helped me understand the roles of different health careers ’.
We did experience some technology challenges when screen sharing the videos , and some network issues that caused a lag between sound and picture , however these were somewhat mitigated as all
44 OTnews February 2021