FEATURE STUDENT EDUCATION
Kelly adds : ‘ The
‘‘ patients broadly accepted , and in
I some cases preferred , meeting us virtually . As the client group was younger than those the team usually sees , it meant most were comfortable using technology and had access to tablets and laptops .
‘ Some liked a good old chat on the phone , and due to not having to account for travelling time , it meant we could spend longer talking to them , researching relevant resources and interventions and writing up accurate records – in fact , my educator said my notes were spot on .
‘ Due to lockdown the patients were socially isolated and often scared to go out , so they really seemed to appreciate having regular contact from us to help them to meet their occupational goals and learn new coping skills , such as fatigue management .’
Feedback and opportunities The feedback from clients was that the occupational therapy intervention was extremely useful and they felt that it added to the physiotherapy and dietetic input they received . All of the clients achieved their goals , which included returning to work , walking to the local café for a meal , gardening and walking their dog .
A virtual self-management group was also completed via Zoom with a small number of the clients . This opportunity to discuss their experiences with other people in a similar situation , reduce their social isolation and consolidate the learning from individual interventions with the students was very valuable . One client said : ‘ I really enjoyed the course and it really helped with my recovery .’
The occupational therapy input within this service provided by each of these students was well received by the team and from clients .
Supporting the students on this placement and observing their individual confidence and skills develop throughout the placement as they increased autonomy in their decision was satisfying for practitioners and academics ; the nature of this shared placement opportunity with two students benefiting from peer support and working together
loved the rapport I had built with my patients , working with them individually and seeing them slowly recover . This was hugely rewarding and was the highlight for me . has also been fundamental in facilitating success . ‘ If I had been a lone student in this , I would have been second guessing myself , but being paired up with Kelly meant we were able to support each other by bouncing ideas , thoughts , research and worries off each which really helped ,’ says Ed . ‘ We also discussed our patients in weekly multidisciplinary team meetings . All of this made the whole experience less daunting and more enjoyable . By the final four weeks I began to feel like an occupational therapist .
‘ I loved the rapport I had built with my patients , working with them individually and seeing them slowly recover . This was hugely rewarding and was the highlight for me . I was very grateful when the team asked us both to stay on for a further four more weeks to continue working with the patients , it gave me a huge confidence boost .’
For Kelly , the biggest thing was realising that she could trust her own judgement . ‘ It felt odd not having my educator by my side ,’ she says , ‘ but once I got going , it made me much more confident .
‘ I ’ m a mature student , so I had lots of skills and experience to draw from . I received positive feedback from the multidisciplinary team , the patients and my lecturer , which will take with me into my final year .’
The students contributed to the final discharge reports , which were sent to consultants , and this helped to promote the role of occupational therapy within the service . A verbal report was also presented to the board of directors by the clinical lead physiotherapist and a client , and this further highlighted the importance of the multi-disciplinary approach .
The students also captured the contributions from occupational therapy in case studies about the clients with whom they worked and these will contribute to a business case for applying for an occupational therapist in the pulmonary rehabilitation service in the longer-term .
Joanne Donbavand , senior lecturer occupational therapy , University of Huddersfield , Ed Nye and Kelly Adair year two occupational therapy students , and Bethan Wallis and Sally Grose , specialist occupational therapists
48 OTnews February 2021