An Exploratory Study of Web-Based Supports for Occupational Therapy Students During Level II Fieldwork

This study aimed to develop an understanding of occupational therapy students' experiences of violent attack by a client. A qualitative approach was chosen, which involved semi-structured interviews with three students and an analysis of the researcher's experience of violent attack. A wide variety of reactions to violent attack by a client was reported, including fear, anger, concern for others, minimisation and thoughts about changing career. The explanations for these reactions are reported and discussed. The participants reported changes in their therapeutic relationships with clients. The findings also suggested that there might be some occupational therapy personnel who feel that violence is ‘part of the job’. Three key issues are discussed: the nature of the reactions to violent attack, the perceptions of role and the therapeutic relationship with the client. It is suggested that these findings have important implications for the education and training and the support of occupational therapy students. Recommendations are made regarding the need for further research to inform the way forward in training and supporting those experiencing violence in clinical practice settings.

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Making it real: The development of a web-based simulated learning resource for occupational therapy students

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology ◽

10.14742/ajet.3196 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Kelli Nicola-Richmond ◽

Valerie Watchorn

Keyword(s):

Occupational Therapy ◽

Case Studies ◽

Authentic Learning ◽

Active Listening ◽

Learning Resource ◽

Web Based ◽

Graduate Attributes ◽

Occupational Therapy Students ◽

Therapy Program ◽

Assessment Skills

Equipping students with graduate attributes that ensure they are ready to work in complex health environments is highly important. Recently there has been increased use of simulation in health education to assist in the acquisition of graduate attributes, and to provide meaningful and authentic learning opportunities. The Deakin University Occupational Therapy program developed a unique web-based Occupational Therapy Simulations for Learning resource. This resource comprised 18 filmed scenarios that were previously non-existent or only available to students in written format. The scenarios depict people with a range of health conditions, mock graduate interviews, and occupational therapists conducting simulated clinical assessments and interventions. This study explored the effectiveness of the resource in the development of empathy, active listening, and information gathering skills. It also compared experiences of students and academics who had previously used written case studies. Survey results demonstrated statistically significant differences in relation to the realness of case studies, understanding how the client was feeling, development of empathy, clinical assessment skills, and the usefulness of the resource overall. This study demonstrates that the use of simulated case studies offers authentic learning for occupational therapy students and promotes development of key graduate attributes.

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