Organisation(s)
Bournemouth University
Alex Dunford
Physiotherapy lecturer and placement lead at Bournemouth University.
Summary of placement
This was a six week Bournemouth University led placement, supported by members of the Public Involvement in Education and Research (PIER) group alongside practice placement educators (PPEs) from a variety of clinical NHS settings and Bournemouth University physiotherapy teaching staff.
First-year physiotherapy students undertaking this placement were placed into a small group of eight people. Each group were allocated a PPE that oversaw their mentorship, examination and marking procedures of each student within the group.
The placement had a timetabled, face-to-face teaching schedule to look at developing knowledge and understanding, problem solving, clinical reasoning, and management skills in relation to five specific medical conditions across the six weeks.
These medical conditions were older peoples medicine (falls, mobility, and balance problems),rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and cystic fibrosis.
Each week a PIER member, with a different condition, came into Bournemouth University and shared their experience of the condition, their symptoms, their road to diagnosis, and any medical, physiotherapy and wider NHS interventions. The students then had an opportunity to ask the person questions and reflect on this learning. The final week was an assessment week which included a presentation back to the PIER members on what they had learnt and a practice assessment related to a case.