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Exploring assistant practitioners' views of their role and training
Hilary Bungay1, Jo Jackson2, Sue Lord3
1Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, England.
Assistant practitioner roles face challenges with role clarity and career progression. Enhancing understanding of the assistant practitioner (AP) role and foundation degree requirements is crucial for increasing AP numbers.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Professions
- Workforce Development
Background:
- Assistant practitioners (APs) play a vital role in healthcare delivery.
- Understanding their experiences is key to optimizing their contribution and career pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore assistant practitioner and trainee assistant practitioner views on role autonomy, supervision, training, and workplace impact.
- To identify factors influencing the effectiveness and progression of APs.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative service evaluation survey was distributed to current and former trainee assistant practitioners.
- Data collected from 93 returned questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Uncertainty exists regarding the skills and competence of trainees in the foundation degree program.
- Limited career progression opportunities were identified for unregistered staff in AP roles.
Conclusions:
- Greater clarity on the scope and responsibilities of the assistant practitioner role is needed.
- Improved understanding of the foundation degree's academic demands is essential to boost AP recruitment and retention.
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