Organisation(s)

Bournemouth University 

Dorset HealthCare NHS Foundation Trust

NHS England

Emma

Third year occupational therapist student at Bournemouth University.

Summary of placement

Placement was based on a 3:2 model (three days with community adult autism service, Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust and two days in a leadership project with workforce training and education directorate, NHS England) We developed a bespoke schedule based on this concept that met the needs of both my practice educators and my learning needs. This meant alternating the Friday between both teams.

Benefits

  • Development and growth opportunities across all areas of practice

  • Ability to integrate skills from previous career and use in professional environment. E.g. project management skills, utilising them in leadership and clinical setting.

  • Understanding national influences on service and local level. How to utilise national policy and guidance to advance impact on service level

  • Two way learning. Learning from each aspect of the placement added value to the other part of the placement

Challenges

  • Advanced self-management and organisation skills needed to make sure learning opportunities can be optimised without overwhelming the learner

  • Supervision and effective clear communication (from student and educators) essential to ensure success and correct amount of work in each area of placement. Student needs to be able to critically analyse workload and self-advocate as practice educators can only see one side of the placement experience. Student is the only one who has the full picture.

Advice you’d give to others

  • Clear communication and expectations

  • Organisation and self-management skills essential

  • Negotiating and being honest about work load and managing time is essential. You need to be clear about your own learning needs and how each placement is going so that you can meet those needs

  • Be honest about what YOU need to learn and work that into the plan in each placement area. Need to work as team with educators to work out any difficulties right away so solutions/adaptions can be discussed. Protected time for academic supervision is essential.

  • Consecutive placement days helpful i.e. Monday/Tuesday

    Placement 1, Wednesday/Thursday/Friday – placement two

  • Schedule in time, each week, to close work of placement 1 so you can switch your attention to the 2nd placement the next day. Be strict with down time in evenings, its not a full-time placement squeezed into three days. Your educator may need help to understand an appropriate workload for a three day placement.

  • Academic units alongside placement hinder this placement model as it’s too complex to split students attention between two placements and a unit of study.

  • Prepare students for developing self-management skills and what this means