STUDENT EDUCATION FEATURE information , placement dates , new models of placement delivery , evidence base , professional guidance and standards , and equality , diversity and inclusion guidance .
I met with year two MSc ( Pre-registration ) occupational therapy students , Shauna Rouse and Megan Dudziak , at the start of every day via Microsoft Teams and they would share with me their objectives for the day before going off to meet together remotely to plan their day and tasks .
We developed learning contracts that allowed them to identify the leadership skills they wanted to develop and spent time reflecting each week on the way in which these skills would be transferable in clinical practice in future placements and once qualified .
During what has been a very stressful time for staff in academia , it was so refreshing to have time away from dealing with the daily issues to focus on supporting students and to be inspired every morning by the work that they were doing and to see them grow in confidence and skills .
The website is a resource I have wanted to create for many years and just never had the time , so to be able to watch this develop and be a part of supporting its creation was extremely rewarding .
Having two students was key to this leadership placement , as they were able to use supervision to guide their own independent learning and practice . They learnt a great deal from each other , were very open to peer feedback , and were able to complete tasks without the need for my continuous intervention .
This meant that as an educator and senior manager the demand on my time was manageable .
The feedback from the team was overwhelmingly positive , in particular about their professionalism , team working , communication , ability to motivate others , and they felt very much part of the placement team .
Shauna and Megan achieved much more than we thought possible at the start of the seven weeks and they have identified areas of development for the website that the next two students will focus on in the spring , namely creating resources to support students of colour on placements and to tackle discrimination issues .
This part of the project will be funded by Health Education England as a collaboration with Canterbury Christchurch University .
Having seen the value and impact of this leadership placement , other senior managers in the school and university , including the head of school and vice-chancellor , who asked to meet Shauna and Megan , are all now exploring the way in which they can support our students with their own leadership placements .
I have no doubt that this will bring about positive opportunities for the students and create more innovative projects that will benefit the school , and I would encourage all staff , whatever role you are in , to think creatively about how you can support our occupational therapists of tomorrow .
Dr Channine Clarke , Head of Practice Learning and Development , School of Sport and Health Sciences , University of Brighton . The Edublog can be found at : https :// blogs . brighton . ac . uk / uobsupportinghealthandsportstudentsinpractice / about-us /
The benefits of engaging with remote learning
It was a great privilege to be on a leadership placement for my intermediate practice learning with Dr Channine Clarke and Megan Dudziak .
This learning opportunity was enriched with new skills and an invaluable experience that will now be part of me as I develop into a better student and hopefully in summer as an occupational therapist .
COVID-19 has changed the way we all work , study , and live currently . The ongoing impact for 2021 will continue to challenge us all to adjust and adapt , and I wanted to experience a non-traditional remote placement and take advantage of the skills and challenges I was presented with , and that are transferable to my future practice .
I would encourage all staff , whatever role you are in , to think creatively about how you can support our occupational therapists of ‘‘... tomorrow .
When remote learning began in March 2020 , I was disengaged and unmotivated during lectures ; I did not feel like the student I am when in the classroom face to face . One of the reasons for taking on this placement was to develop my use of technology . Working remotely did not mean working alone . Logging on every morning , and to be greeted by the practice learning team , was a great boost and my confidence grew online . It was always a positive beginning and led to a productive day . Being on this placement with Megan was a brilliant way for me to learn and grow personally and professionally . Without a physical space to gather information , collaboration and professional relationships can be a bit more challenging , but we overcame this barrier by being genuine and giving people who we interviewed and presented to the space to speak and contribute .
Communication skills and collaboration skills went hand in hand , as communication plays a huge role in successful relationship building , especially with a screen between us . To be involved with the university lecturers and team , and being a leader of a project that will help develop an essential part of the occupational therapy education , was a great feeling . To be involved in a project that grew just as much as we did was an amazing opportunity .
Shauna Rouse , MSc ( Pre-registration ) Occupational Therapy , year two student
OTnews May 2021 35