Something that helped our group work more cohesively as a team was daily check-ins with the group and with our practice educator on Microsoft Teams .”
meant we had some autonomy , as well as being jointly responsible for the whole project .
Regular check-ins
Something that helped our group work more cohesively as a team was daily check-ins with the group and with our practice educator on Microsoft Teams .
At 8:30am every morning , our practice educator hosted a meeting , which allowed the group to talk about how we were managing our tasks and how the manual was coming together . It also allowed us to receive feedback and guidance at each stage of the manual .
A daily morning meeting may sound like a lot , however we found that it really helped strengthen the bond within the group , including with our practice educator .
We also had regular check-ins throughout the day as a student group , where we would plan to meet at certain times , either in our pairs or as a whole . Having these regular check-ins on Teams with our cameras turned on , which did not always happen in other teaching sessions , really helped our group adjust to online working , as it allowed us to feel part of a real team .
Meeting throughout the day ensured we were all on the same page and helped keep us organised with our tasks and what needed to be done to meet our deadlines . It also maintained our drive and motivation to complete the project . The regular check-ins were the whole base of our placement and the manual .
The take home messages
Something that stood out for all of us on this placement was the strong focus on personal development .
We were challenged to consider the theory behind everything and ensure we used the literature to support this . We were also challenged to think about our performance and how the skills we developed could be transferred and used in practice .
There is no doubt that this placement was different to what we were used to . The challenge
Key factors that made our placement a success
• Building in time for education and orientation to the project .
• Beginning with the end in mind by having a clear goal and a plan .
• Having more than one student to enable peer learning . If there are more than two , there should be enough students for everyone to be in a pair .
• Having more students gives a more efficient approach to practice-based learning .
• A structure for the placement , mapped to the learning outcomes , provides containment for a student ’ s anxiety .
• Regular meetings helped with project management and ensuring deadlines were met .
of taking on a project that had never been done before was exciting and nerve-wracking , and although we carried this out remotely , there is no reason why it could not be a successful in-person placement in the future .
In future practice , there will be times when we are required to step out of our comfort zone . This was certainly the case on this placement , but with a willingness to learn and by trusting that the process would work , we were able to successfully complete the project . This will hopefully stand us in good stead for life as an occupational therapist . This was not a ‘ normal ’ placement and we didn ’ t have as much patient / service user contact , but what we missed in those elements of practice we more than make up for in learning and developing other skills .
Eagers J , Franklin R , Yau M , Broome K ( 2018 ) ‘ Pre-retirement job and the work-to-retirement occupational transition process in Australia : a review ’, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal , 65 ( 4 ): 314-328 . doi :
https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / 1440-1630.12452 .
Words SARAH ALDERSON , CALUM LOVETT , SHANNON SMITH , AMBER BIRD and LORNA MCMENEMY , occupational therapy students , Glasgow Caledonian University
48 OTnews June 2022