Exploring Clinical Educator and Student Perspectives on the Implementation of the Calderdale Framework as a Model of Occupational Therapy Clinical Education in Australia: a Pilot Study

Purpose: This paper describes the exploration of clinical educator and student perspectives on the implementation of the Calderdale Framework (CF) as a model for pre-entry occupational therapy clinical placement. Setting: The study was undertaken within a regional health service in Queensland, Australia. The orthopaedic inpatient ward at the regional hospital and mixed inpatient and outpatient community based caseloads in rural hospitals were the focus of this study. Methods: The Calderdale Framework is a seven stage process which involves: engaging staff with the framework; identifying which clinical tasks are carried out within the service; analysing which tasks can be allocated to students; setting up supervision systems; developing Clinical Task Instructions (CTIs); providing competency training and assessment; and developing organisational systems to sustain the new ways of working. In the first week of placement, students were ‘taught’ background and theoretical information for nine Clinical Task Instructions. In the remainder of their placement they achieved competence in these tasks and implemented clinical interventions with patients. Results: Separate focus groups and in-depth interviews were used to explore clinical educator and student opinions about their experience of the application of the Calderdale Framework in clinical education. Five themes emerged from the data analysis: experience of new model; adjustment to change in approach to the placement model; impact of the Calderdale Framework Clinical Task Instructions; impact of the Calderdale Framework learning model on student confidence and impact of the Calderdale Framework placement model on service delivery. Conclusion: In this pilot study, the application of the Calderdale Framework in clinical education was supported by both clinical educators and students as a model that supported student learning and safe contribution to patient service delivery. The time invested in planning, resource development and implementing this application of the Calderdale Framework in clinical education has resulted in a model which can continue to be implemented within our health service and could be applied to other professions or replicated elsewhere.

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Implementation of a new model of clinical education for regional occupational therapy student clinical placements

Australian Health Review ◽

10.1071/ah16044 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 546 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Linda Furness ◽

Alison C. Pighills ◽

Wendy Ducat ◽

Anna Tynan

Keyword(s):

Occupational Therapy ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Clinical Education ◽

Allied Health ◽

Teaching Method ◽

Patient Flow ◽

Implementation Process ◽

Clinical Placements ◽

New Ways Of Working ◽

Student Education

Expansion of occupational therapy education programs has resulted in increased student numbers and demand on clinicians to host clinical placements while also maintaining the delivery of high-quality, safe clinical services to patients. Much of the research about innovative placement models, including student contributions to service delivery, has been conducted in metropolitan areas. Therefore, there is a need to develop models that are suited to regional settings that face diversity of caseload, more generalised occupational therapy roles and variations in patient flow. The aim of the present study was to describe the initial application of the Calderdale Framework in student education in a regional context and look at lessons learnt. The Calderdale Framework provided a structured, clinically governed process whereby occupational therapists were able to determine which tasks could be allocated to students and provided a framework to support student training and competency development. The Calderdale Framework has been used successfully to implement allied health models involving professional skill sharing and delegation of tasks to allied health assistants, but it has not been used in clinical education. Pilot implementation of the Calderdale Framework showed that the model supports quality and safety of student-provided occupational therapy services and that the teaching method provides a platform for student skill development. These results warrant further investigation and are potentially transferrable to student education in other health professions. What is known about the topic? The Calderdale Framework provides a systematic method for reviewing skill mix, developing new roles, identifying new ways of working and facilitating service redesign in healthcare environments. It provides a structure for service and task analysis with a focus on developing clinical competencies, but has not been used in clinical education. What does this paper add? This paper provides an overview of implementation process, challenges and strategies used in the application of the Calderdale Framework in clinical education. What are the implications for practitioners? The Calderdale Framework provides a framework with tools and resources which can be applied to support student learning and student-provided service delivery on clinical placements. Further investigation of the application of the Calderdale Framework in pre-entry student placements is warranted.

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Clinical teaching unit design: a realist systematic review protocol of evidence-based practices for clinical education and health service delivery

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034370 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. e034370

Author(s):

Brandon Tang ◽

Ryan Sandarage ◽

Katrina Dutkiewicz ◽

Stephan Saad ◽

Jocelyn Chai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Service ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Clinical Education ◽

Clinical Teaching ◽

Health Service Delivery ◽

Education And Health ◽

Cochrane Database ◽

Teaching Unit ◽

Review Protocol

IntroductionThe clinical teaching unit (CTU) has emerged as a near-ubiquitous model of clinical education across Canadian and international medical schools since it was first proposed over 50 years ago. However, while healthcare has changed dramatically over this period, the CTU model has remained largely unchanged. We thus aimed to systematically review principles of CTU design that contribute to improved outcomes in clinical education and health service delivery.Methods and analysisWe will perform a realist systematic review in accordance with the Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) II protocol for realist reviews. Databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), were searched to find primary research articles published from 1993 to 2019 involving CTUs or other teaching wards, and outcomes related to either trainee education or health service delivery. Two reviewers will independently screen studies in a two-stage process. Retrieved titles and/or abstracts of studies will be screened in the first stage, with full texts reviewed in the second stage. Selected articles meeting inclusion criteria will undergo data abstraction using a standardised, pre-piloted form for assessment of study quality and knowledge synthesis.Ethics and disseminationThis review will generate higher quality evidence on the design of CTUs as a model for both clinical education and health service delivery. In addition, further knowledge translation efforts may be necessary to ensure that known best practices in CTU design become common practice.

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Role Emerging Placements in Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Training: A Case Study

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice ◽

10.46743/1540-580x/2017.1617 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Martin FitzGerald ◽

Abigail Smith ◽

Nazman Rehman ◽

Michelle Taylor

Keyword(s):

Occupational Therapy ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Workforce Development ◽

Clinical Skills ◽

Recipient Site ◽

New Ways Of Working ◽

Education Group ◽

Therapy Training ◽

Assessment And Treatment

Purpose: Role-emerging placements in occupational therapy training are contributing to professional and workforce development because of their strong occupational focus and placement of students in emerging practice. This manuscript explores how one role-emerging placement challenged and developed student theoretical and clinical skills, presented new ways of working at the recipient site, and enhanced service delivery. Methods: The background to role-emerging placements in occupational therapy is explored through the use of a case study which reflects on and analyses how the assessment and treatment of occupation enhanced service delivery at a local, non-traditional site. Eight students in England developed and ran a psycho-education group to support the occupational needs of female service users who have experienced domestic abuse. Results There was an overall increase in self-esteem scores and an expressed increase in knowledge and understanding by participants. Students reported developing a deeper understanding of occupation, and the hosts identified the student’s clinical skills as unique contributors to service delivery. Conclusion: By focusing on occupation, role-emerging placements draw on the roots of the profession and anchor its future to the theoretical foundations of its past. However, in order to employ occupational therapists, these organisations need to understand what the occupational therapy profession can offer them.

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