What makes a quality occupational therapy practice placement? Students' and practice educators' perspectives

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Professional Development
• Clinical Placements

Background:

• Practice placement experiences are essential for students to bridge theory and practice.
• These placements foster professional skills, interpersonal development, and confidence.
• Understanding perspectives on placement quality is crucial for optimizing learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perspectives of students and practice educators on quality practice placement experiences.
• To identify key factors contributing to high-quality learning environments during placements.
• To develop quality indicators for practice placements based on stakeholder feedback.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with students, practice educators, and practice education staff.
• Data was collected from 78 participants across three Queensland universities.
• The study investigated participants' views on quality learning experiences during placements.

Main Results:

• Key themes included effective university preparation, welcoming environments, clear orientation, and graded learning experiences.
• Quality modeling, consistent expectations, constructive feedback, and supervisor expertise were identified as critical.
• Findings aligned with previous research on student and practice educator perspectives in Australia and Canada.

Conclusions:

• Synthesized stakeholder perspectives to develop quality indicators for placement phases: establishment, preparation, maintenance, and review.
• Emphasized that ensuring high-quality placements requires collaborative attention from universities, educators, and organizations.
• Highlighted the challenge and importance of prioritizing placement quality alongside placement availability.