Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Occupational Therapy Assistant Students’ Perceptions Of Using Standardized Patient Encounters As A Replacement For Traditional Level I Fieldwork, Tiffany L. Benaroya, Deborah Mckernan-Ace, Sandra L. Rogers, Meredith Cimmino

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Standardized patient encounters are being utilized more often in occupational therapy education as a replacement for traditional fieldwork. While there is a growing body of research to support the use of this model in developing student skillsets and confidence, there remains limited information on the topic, and no studies which look at its use with occupational therapy assistant students. Twenty-four occupational therapy assistant students participated in standardized patient encounters which served as a replacement for traditional Level I fieldwork. All students completed an anonymous supplementary course evaluation regarding their experiences. A secondary analysis of the data looked at their perceptions …

“Same But Different”: The Role And Perceptions Of The Simulation Clinical Educator, Bronwyn Davidson, Simone Howells, Rachel Davenport, Sue Mcallister, Emma Caird, Danielle Aldridge, Adriana Penman, Sally Hewat, Joanne Walters, Elizabeth Cardell, Patricia Mccabe, Alison Purcell, Elizabeth Ward, Stacey Baldac, Anne E. Hill

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Simulated learning programs are an important component of allied health education. Although the role of simulation clinical educators has been highlighted as critical for student learning within simulation, their perceptions of their role have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to explore the experiences of simulation clinical educators. Participants were ten simulation clinical educators who had supported speech-language pathology students’ learning during a 5-day simulation program focussed on speech-language pathology practice with adult clients in acute hospital and rehabilitation settings. Educators participated in individual semi-structured interviews exploring their role and their perceptions of the simulation-based learning program. Data were …

Speech Pathology Student Perspectives On Virtual Reality To Learn A Clinical Skill, Bridget Kelly, Joanne Walters, Rachael Unicomb

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Evidence supports the use of simulation in educating speech pathology (SP) students, however most of the research has centered on low fidelity techniques as opposed to high fidelity and immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR). Whilst there has been research on the use of VR to teach clinical skills to students in other health disciplines (e.g., dentistry, nursing), use of VR in SP has focused mainly on its use in client intervention. There is an opportunity to use VR to teach clinical skills to SP students, particularly in response to barriers to clinical placement opportunities like the COVID 19 pandemic. …

Evolution Of Level I Fieldwork During An International Pandemic: Students’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Virtual Simulation-Based Level I Fieldwork, Rebecca Ozelie, Shiori Domenighetti, Amanda Sugar, Samantha Conrad

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork education is an essential component of occupational therapy (OT) curriculum; yet national shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic have affected fieldwork availability. To combat the shortage, some academic programs implemented simulation-based Level I fieldwork experiences. The objective of this research study was to compare the perceived knowledge, confidence, and attitude of OT students that completed a virtual simulation-based Level I fieldwork to those that completed a traditional Level I fieldwork. This study involved a sample of 26 doctorate of OT students that completed a traditional or virtual simulation-based Level I fieldwork. Students completed pre-and-post fieldwork surveys regarding their perceived knowledge, …

Barriers, Challenges, And Supports To The Implementation Of Standardized Patients And Simulated Environments By Occupational Therapy Education Programs, Amanda Mack, Anne Escher, John Wong

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

A national survey examined the implementation rates, barriers, challenges, and supports to implementation of two types of simulation (standardized patients and simulated environments) by entry-level occupational therapy education programs in the United States. It also sought to identify relationships between program characteristics and implementation of these types of simulation. An online survey inquiring about academic program characteristics and use of simulation was sent to all occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs in the United States in 2017 prior to the implementation of the 2018 Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education Standards and the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Data …

Exploring Simulation Design For Mental Health Practice Preparation: A Pilot Study With Learners And Preceptors, Diane E. Mackenzie, Niki Kiepek, Leanne Picketts, Stephanie Zubriski, Karen Landry, Jonathan Harris

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this exploratory pilot study was to determine the feasibility of delivering mental health practice simulations for occupational therapy learners, and whether different debriefing approaches yielded performance differences over successive simulations. Five clinical preceptors and nine first year MScOT students participated in this mixed-method study. In week one simulations, one student group received preceptor facilitated debriefing while the other group used self-debriefing. Both groups used the same scripted questions informed by an advocacy-inquiry approach. In the second week, both groups received the preceptor-led debriefing. Preceptors rated student performances while students self-rated their confidence, competence screen, and satisfaction using …

An Audit Of The Use Of Simulation In Australian And New Zealand Physiotherapy Curricula, Tayne Ryall, Elisabeth Preston, Niruthikha Mahendran, Bernie Bissett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The aim of this exploratory research was to investigate the use of simulation in physiotherapy curricula across Australia and New Zealand. The key areas of focus were whether simulation was being used, the forms of simulation used for training and assessment, evidence for educational simulation practices, and the enablers and barriers to implementing simulation into the curricula. Method: All Australian and New Zealand Universities offering a physiotherapy degree were invited to participate in an electronic survey. As no pre-existing tool was available to answer the aims of the study, a custom designed survey was developed. The survey was pilot …

A Match Made In Heaven: Exploring Views Of Medicine Students, Pharmacy Interns And Facilitators In An Interprofessional Medicines Pilot Study, Eileen M. Mckinlay, Melanie Brown, Debbie Wallace, Caroline Morris, Amanda Garnett, Ben Gray

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To date, few interprofessional education initiatives have included just medicine and pharmacy learners. This research sought to explore learners’ and facilitators’ views of an interprofessional education medicines pilot study involving medical students and pharmacy interns. Methods: Qualitative feedback was gathered from the participating learners and a facilitator focus group was undertaken. Results: Medical student and pharmacy intern learners reported enjoying taking part and found the simulation and overall initiative to be authentic. They described learning most about each other’s roles and responsibilities and about teamwork, collaborative management, and collaboration. Some logistical improvements were suggested. The facilitators judged that the …

Meaning And Impact Of Interprofessional Simulation Participation For Occupational Therapy Students: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Elena Wong Espiritu, Steven Busby

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy programs are incorporating simulation experiences more regularly into their curricula. However, there continues to be a need for more evidence demonstrating simulation benefits, particularly when various client populations, standardized actors, interpersonal skill practice, and multiple disciplines are incorporated into scenarios. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe the meaning and impact of participating in an interprofessional simulation for occupational therapy students as part of their current academic preparation and future clinical practice in the hopes of increasing the participants’ interpersonal and clinical reasoning skills. Study participants were entry-level occupational therapy doctoral students (N=64) and their …

Clinical Educators’ Perceptions Of Students Following A Simulation-Based Learning Program, Sally Hewat, Joanne Walters, Emma Caird, Danielle Aldridge, Adriana Penman, Elizabeth Cardell, Rachel Davenport, Bronwyn Davidson, Simone Howells, Patricia Mccabe, Alison Purcell, Elizabeth Ward, Anne E. Hill

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Purpose: Clinical education is a key component of speech-language pathology university curriculum, whereby students have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and practical skills learned in the classroom into a real workplace. However, more recently the availability of high quality, consistent clinical placements and learning experiences across the range of practice areas in the discipline is reducing. Therefore, alternative clinical learning opportunities that enable students to develop skills and competencies are being explored. Recently, replacing clinical time with a simulated learning program has been shown to achieve equivalent levels of clinical competency in speech pathology. However, it is unknown how …

Standardized Patient Encounter: An Innovative Curricular Design To Enhance Fieldwork Readiness, Lisa M. Sakemiller, Susan Toth-Cohen

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy (OT) educators are challenged to utilize instructional strategies that ensure student preparedness for Level II fieldwork. Standardized patient encounters (SPEs) offer students a low risk simulation opportunity to develop clinical skills and improve fieldwork readiness while enhancing OT students’ confidence. Yet, despite the benefits and perceived value of simulation among educators and students, SPEs are not used as frequently as other instructional methods. The purpose of this educational innovation paper is to describe the curriculum development process of an overall SPE experience embedded within a synthesis course that prepared students for Level II fieldwork and to evaluate the …

Effectiveness Of Instructor-Led Discussion Versus Simulation To Prepare Students For Fieldwork, Elena W. Espiritu, Thu M. Can, Natalie N. Michaels, Allison Koch, Beth F. Hallmark

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy students do not always feel prepared to start fieldwork. The study purposes were to 1) measure the effectiveness of refresher sessions on students’ perceived self-efficacy, knowledge, and skills related to fieldwork preparedness and 2) determine whether using simulation with standardized patients (SPs) was more effective than a discussion-based format. The participants (N=34) were entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) students. Four students acted as a control group while the remaining 30 students were randomly assigned to experimental groups (discussion or simulation). Outcome measures included a readiness for fieldwork survey (quantitative self-reported ratings and qualitative questions), a knowledge-based exam, and …

Qualitative Analysis Of Student Physical Therapist Reflective Writing: Does An Interprofessional Discharge Planning Simulation Increase Their Understanding Of The Role They Play In Discharge Planning?, Leslie M. Smith, Benjamin Sachs, Karen Berg, Megan Keiser, Laura J. Smith, Carman Turkelson, Amy Yorke

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The Core Competencies for Entry-Level Practice in Acute Care Physical Therapy provides an expectation of entry-level practice in acute care for physical therapists including discharge planning (DP). Physical therapists (PT), despite having appropriate clinical reasoning and unique skills for determining the functional abilities of patients, are less often a part of the DP process. The purpose of this study was to determine, by use of qualitative analysis of reflective writing, if an interprofessional discharge planning simulation will increase students’ understanding of the role of physical therapy in DP. Methods: Students from physical therapy (n=57), undergraduate nursing (n=36), graduate …

A Pilot Study Exploring The Impact Of Interprofessional Simulation On Role Clarity And Student Readiness For Collaborative Clinical Practice, Shira Schecter Weiner, Laura Hagan, Julie F. Kardachi

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Interprofessional collaboration is recognized as a healthcare practice paradigm that may decrease overall costs and minimize errors. Yet it remains common for practitioners to provide care within silos, inadequately considering the impact of their decisions on other providers and overall costs, which ultimately may negatively impact the patient. Integrating interprofessional collaboration in school curricula can establish the importance of this approach to healthcare. For optimal efficacy, every professional in the healthcare team must recognize their unique role and the roles of others, to allow for seamless interprofessional collaboration. Simulation is a teaching tool that provides students with the opportunity …

High-Fidelity Simulations Offer A Paradigm To Develop Personal And Interprofessional Competencies Of Health Students: A Review Article, Nava Livne

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Simulation instruction is an effective method to help health professional students develop personal and interprofessional competencies. The purpose of this review was to summarize the literature on high-fidelity mannequin simulation using methods that develop various personal and interprofessional competencies of health students in profession-specific and interprofessional health settings.

Method: This review was conducted using 10 databases, and articles published in English from January 2008 through January 2018 were reviewed. Keywords and terms from the Medical Subject Headings [MeSH] thesaurus were used to create keyword combinations. Of 95 articles that resulted from this search, 44 research studies were chosen for …

Co-Constructing Simulations With Learners: Roles, Responsibilities, And Impact, Diane E. Mackenzie, Kathleen E. Collins, Mylene J. Guimond, Abby C. Hunter, Kassia J. Jurcina, Johanna L. Mcdonald, Nikki L. Richards, Stephanie. H. Sinclair, Kelsey Y. Taylor

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Co-constructed simulations were designed and piloted with senior occupational therapy master’s students in a neurorehabilitation practice module. The instructor served as the guide for the students through all phases of the case creation, simulation development, delivery, and debrief. The instructor facilitation promoted self-regulated learning (SRL) of knowledge and skill development through independent discovery and peer learning. This paper provides an evidence-informed co-construction simulation design with outlined stages, roles, and responsibilities for the instructor and learner. Thematic qualitative analysis of student feedback highlighted enhanced insight and SRL as a result of multiple role preparation, observation and interaction with peers, close interaction …

Utilizing Standardized Patient Feedback To Facilitate Professional Behavior In Physical Therapist Students: A Pilot Study, Mary Anne Riopel, Bini Litwin, Nicki Silberman, Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Physical therapist (PT) students receive feedback on professional behavior performance from academic and clinical faculty members. Literature is lacking on the impact that verbal feedback from standardized patients (SPs) may have on physical therapist student learning of professional behaviors. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the use of standardized patients’ feedback as a strategy for professional behavior development. Methods: A sample of convenience identified 13 doctoral physical therapist students prior to initiation of their first full-time clinical experience. Subjects were excluded if they had prior experiences with standardized patients or had completed a full-time clinical experience. …

Investigating A Physiotherapy Clinical Simulation Assessment Tool Using The Delphi Approach, Anne Jones, Allison Mandrusiak, Belinda Judd, Christopher Gordon, Jennifer Alison

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Simulation in physiotherapy education is increasing, but a standardised assessment tool for student performance in simulation has not been developed. The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) is a validated tool for student performance in the clinical workplace, and has been used recently for simulation despite its relevance for this context being unknown. The purpose of the study was to gain consensus about which APP items should be included in a tool to assess physiotherapy students’ performance in simulation. The relevance of items was considered for both single patient encounters, and longitudinal (multiple) encounters. Methods: An online Delphi approach …

Training Hospital Readiness In Speech-Language Pathology Students Through Simulation, Anna Miles, Selena Donaldson, Philippa Friary

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Simulated learning environments allow students to develop technical and clinical decision-making skills in a safe and realistic setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate speech-language pathology students’ perception of hospital readiness following a one-day simulation-based training day on swallowing management. Nineteen students attended the training day. Training included part-task skill learning and immersive simulated scenarios. Students were asked to complete course evaluation forms and participated in focus groups immediately after the day. Seven students participated in a further focus group after a five-week hospital placement within a month of the training day. Four students participated in a focus …