Practice Education
Introduction
Practice education is seen as being central to the professional development of occupational therapy students and a key element in their progression toward entry-level occupational therapists. For this reason, practice education is considered a core component of the occupational therapy course.
Practice education serves to integrate academic knowledge with practical knowledge, as students focus on the application of their knowledge, skills and attitudes in ‘real-life’ practice settings.
Practice education provides students with in-depth experience of the provision of occupational therapy services in a variety of health and social care practice settings, focusing on the application of purposeful and meaningful occupation to restore and/or maintain health.
The transition from a junior freshman occupational therapy student level of competence, through senior freshman level, junior sophister level and senior sophister level takes place sequentially throughout the four years of the occupational therapy course, with the students achieving progressively higher levels of performance and responsibility in practice education and ultimately achieving the competence of entry-level occupational therapists.
Practice Education Outcomes
The following are the overall outcomes of the practice education. These outcomes have been linked to the competencies specified by the Therapy Project Office (TPO) in their document “Occupational Therapy Competencies”, published in 2008.
The practice education experience aims to ensure that graduates (entry level occupational therapists) are able to:
- Work safely in compliance with current health and safety regulations (TPO competencies 8.1, 11.3)
- Demonstrate professional behaviour and responsibility in accordance with current ethical guidelines (TPO competencies 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 11.1)
- Demonstrate respect for individuality and difference (TPO competencies 9.1, 11.2, 11.4)
- Work collaboratively with clients, carers and professional members of the team (TPO competencies 4.1 – 4.3)
- Communicate effectively within a team environment and within a variety of organisational structures within the local context (TPO competencies 4.4 – 4.8, 6.2)
- Enable the facilitation of therapeutic relationships with clients (TPO competencies 2.1, 2.2 and 3.1 – 3.4)
- Analyse the use of occupation and activity as a basic therapeutic tool (TPO competencies 1.1, 1.4)
- Assess the functional needs of clients who are experiencing a range of physical, psychosocial, developmental and/or environmental obstacles to living fulfilling lives (TPO competencies 1.1, 1.2, 1.5 and 5.6)
- Respond to needs identified with practical interventions that engage the client in meaningful occupation and activity (TPO competencies 5.7, 5.8, 5.9)
- Evaluate the outcomes of the occupational therapy process for the client and modify, adapt or change interventions in response to evaluation (TPO competencies 5.10, 9.4)
- Integrate occupational therapy theory and knowledge with practice (TPO competencies 5.1, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3)
- Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development and understand the necessity of continuous professional development and life-long learning (TPO competencies 12.1 – 12.5)
- Demonstrate clinical reasoning and professional behaviour (TPO competencies 7.3, 8.1 – 8.8)
- Demonstrate the capacity to be self-directed professionals and to develop as reflective and self-directive practitioners (TPO competencies 7.1)
- Junior Freshman Practice Education (Module OT 1016) (PDF 148 kB)
- Senior Freshman Practice Education (Module OT 2029) (PDF 157 kB)
- Junior Sophister Practice Education (Module OT 3026) (PDF 157 kB)
- Senior Sophister Practice Education (Module OT 4035) (PDF 157 kB)
Practice Education Hours:
International requirements:
Students are required to successfully complete 1000 hours of supervised practice education experience in order to comply with the regulations of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT, 2002).
By the end of the fourth year, each student will have completed more than
1,000 hours of assessed practice education practice. Hours are calculated on the basis of a 35-hour working week.
National requirements:
The Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland Minimum Standards for Practice Education (AOTI, 2008) recommends:
- At least 250 hours of practice education must be in a physical setting and 250 hours must be in a psychosocial setting. This means that each student will have completed 250 hours in a physical setting and 250 hours in a psychosocial setting on completion of the course.
- Each student should have practice education in a variety of practice settings.
- Each student should experience a range of different age groups.
- Each student should have exposure to both urban and rural settings. This means that students may be allocated placements outside the Dublin area.
Practice Education Placement Pattern
Practice education is an integral part of the occupational therapy degree programme and it is delivered using an integrated model (i.e. integrated within the academic programme in each of the four years). This integrated model recognises the pivitol role of practice education in the educational process of occupational therapy students and maximises their synthesis of theory and practice. Practice education placements are delivered in a full-time block format with increasing complexity and demands as outlined below:
| Year of Programme | Semester | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Freshman (1st Year) | Semester 2 | 2 Weeks |
| Senior Freshman (2nd Year) | Semester 2 | 9 Weeks |
| Junior Sophister (3rd Year) | Semester 2 | 11 Weeks |
| Senior Sophister (4th Year) | Semester 1 | 11 Weeks |
For the exact dates of each student cohort’s practice education placement for the current academic year please refer to the practice education module descriptors in the students’ course handbook.
Practice Education Placement Assessment
While on placement the student will be assessed using the Discipline of Occupational Therapy’s Practice Education Assessment Form relevant for their level of practice education (Junior Freshman, Senior Freshman, Junior Sophister, Senior Sophister).
- Junior Freshman Practice Education Assessment Form (PDF 106 kB)
- Senior Freshman Practice Education Assessment Form (PDF 120 kB)
- Junior Sophister Practice Education Assessment Form (PDF 124 kB)
- Senior Sophister Practice Education Assessment Form (PDF 124 kB)
Grading Guidelines:
| Competent: | This indicates areas where the student has reached a satisfactory, competent level of achievement. There are two possible competent grades: evident or enhanced. |
|---|---|
| Not Competent: | This indicates areas where the student has failed to reach an acceptable competent standard. There are two possible not competent grades: not evident or emerging. |
| NOT EVIDENT – This competency was not demonstrated. | EVIDENT – This competency was consistently demonstrated. |
| EMERGING – This competency was not consistently demonstrated. | ENHANCED – This competency was consistently demonstrated. The performance was to a high standard. |
Please note that the student must achieve a competent grade (i.e. either evident or enhanced) on each of the competencies at the final assessment in order to reach a competent overall level of achievement for the placement.
Practice Education Placements Sourcing and Allocation:
The discipline has the overall responsibility for sourcing practice education placements in the Republic of Ireland for its students. This may be a collaborative responsibility between the Discipline’s Practice Education Co-ordinator and Regional Placement Facilitators/Practice Tutors were such posts exist.
As per the Therapy Project Offices’ “Guidelines for Good Practice in Practice Education” the Practice Education Coordinator selects and allocates practice education placements to students.
Students are NOT in any circumstances permitted to make contact with potential practice education placement providers in the Republic of Ireland.
Most, if not all, of placements are based in the Republic of Ireland, thus ensuring that both students and practice educators can be effectively supported by the practice education team.
There is no provision by Trinity College Dublin for travel and accommodation expenses whilst on placement. It is the students’ responsibility to arrange suitable travel and accommodation arrangements for the duration of their placements.
Due to the wide geographical dispersal of placements, it is expected that every student will undertake placements involving significant daily travel and/or moving into temporary accommodation. However efforts will be made, where possible, to accommodate the needs of disabled students or those who have family and caring commitments or students with exceptional circumstances through the allocation of placements within reasonable travelling distance of their place of residence. The responsibility is with the student to bring their circumstances to the attention of the Practice Education Co-ordinator prior to the allocation of their placements.
Requests for overseas placements must be negotiated with the Practice Co-ordinator by the student in adequate time and may only be completed during the students’ sophister years. It is the student’s responsibility to identify possible placement providers if they wish to go overseas for placements. Such placements must also meet the basic criteria laid down for practice education experience and supervising therapists (i.e. practice educators) must have graduated from a WFOT approved School. Communications between the discipline, the student and the practice educator during oversees placements will be by telephone, fax, e-mail, or instant messaging.
Practice Education Organisation Chart
The structure of practice education within the Discipline of Occupational Therapy consists of a practice education committee and practice education team.
The practice education committee includes the Head of the Discipline of Occupational Therapy, the Practice Education Co-ordinator, a Regional Placement Facilitator and a Lecturer and this committee acts in a steering capacity for the practice education component of the curriculum.
The practice education team is co-ordinated by the Practice Education Co-ordinator and includes the Practice Education Co-ordinator, Regional Placement Facilitators and Practice Tutors (who act in a liaison capacity between the Discipline of Occupational Therapy and Placement Providers (and individual Practice Educators within these Placement Providers).
The Practice Education Co-ordinator acts as a ‘team leader’ for the practice education team and provides guidance, direction and leadership to facilitate the achievement of team aligned results that meet standards that are collaboratively agreed between the Practice Education Committee and Practice Education Team.
To facilitate clear lines of communication between the Practice Education Team and the Practice Education Committee, the Practice Education Co-ordinator acts as the direct point of contact at the Discipline for all the members of the Practice Education Team (Regional Placement Facilitators and Practice Tutors) and facilitates information sharing, both ways, between the Practice Education Committee and the Practice Education Team.
Practice Education Student and Practice Educator Roles and Responsibilities:
Practice Education Student:
The Practice Education Student has to demonstrate competency. Evidence of their competency must be measurable by others, i.e. the student must have a portfolio of evidence of their competency.
Practice Education Student Roles & Responsibilities:
- To write a letter/e-mail of introduction and send a curriculum vitae to the contact person in the practice education setting at least 3 weeks prior to the placement. The letter should contain the contact address and telephone number of the student. If a practice education site requires specific information or a visit by the student prior to the placement, this must be completed.
- To familiarise him/her with the policies of the occupational therapy service and all necessary student preparations required for the particular placement.
- To respect the rights of individuals and issues relating to confidentiality at all times.
- To take an active role in negotiating learning objectives with the practice educator, through the use of a learning contract.
- To participate in the occupational therapy service at a level of responsibility appropriate to the student’s stage in the course.
- To take responsibility for self-management and for reflection on practice.
- To explore and to utilise the learning opportunities available during practice education experience.
- To participate in peer education sessions and practice education lectures/seminars/return days.
Practice Educator:
Practice Educator is the title given to the individual occupational therapists who have agreed to assess and mentor students when they are on placement.
Practice Educator Roles & Responsibilities:
The Practice Educator’s role is to provide the Practice Education Student with a learning experience in a practice area, encourage and support the student’s learning, and assess the student’s competency. It is the Practice Educator who has the ultimate responsibility for decision on the student’s practice education level of competence. Practice Educators fulfil their role in partnership with, and with support of, the Discipline’s Practice Education Team.