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Aust. J. Rural Health (2014) 22, 204–205
Short Report Creating positive rural experiences for occupational therapy students Rebecca Wolfgang, BAppSc (Occ Therapy), Rebecca Dutton, B Occ Therapy, and Katrina Wakely, BAppSc (Occ Therapy) University of Newcastle, Department of Rural Health Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia
Creating positive rural experiences for occupational therapy students on placement could potentially improve the recruitment and retention of occupational therapists in rural and remote areas. Attracting and retaining allied health professionals including occupational therapists in rural Australia is a recognised problem.1,2 A positive experience on placement can influence occupational therapy students’ decisions to work rurally.3 An innovative clinical-academic model4 developed in 2003 and supported by University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health (UoNDRH) provides positive rural occupational therapy practice education across four rural sites (Tamworth, Taree, Armidale, Moree). This model relies on clinicians supervising students in the practice setting however, the difference is the additional educational and community engagement opportunities provided to students and the support provided to supervisors. This report discusses the model and its influence on student placement numbers in the four sites over the previous five years.
Participants, methods and results Occupational therapists are employed in academic roles in Tamworth (0.8 FTE) and Taree (0.4 FTE) who provide academic support and education to students undertaking practice education within the four sites. The academics have strong rural practice clinical backgrounds. The academics present discipline-specific teaching and facilitate interprofessional education for occupational therapy students. The students participate in formal interprofessional education from one to three half-day sessions focusing on a case study during their placement. They participate with students from
Correspondence: Mrs Rebecca Wolfgang, Department of Rural Health, University of Newcastle, Locked Bag 9783, Tamworth, New South Wales, NEMSC 2348, Australia. Email: [email protected] © 2014 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.
medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, nutrition and dietetics, pharmacy, and speech pathology. Students are provided cultural training and opportunities to engage in community engagement projects such as after-school learning workshops, providing an insight into health needs of rural communities. Maintaining close links with local clinicians is considered a pivotal role by the academic occupational therapists to develop and maintain student practice placements. Clinicians are well supported and given ‘time out’ from supervision. Access to local continuing professional development activities supported by UoNDRH is offered to clinicians throughout the year. Since 2008, there has been a significant increase in student weeks to 2012 (Fig. 1). More clinicians have been encouraged to offer placements over time. The decrease in student numbers from 2011 to 2012 is due to longer placements with fewer students. Occupational therapy student placement feedback was collated from an online UoNDRH student survey they are asked to complete. Three themes were identified from evaluation of their comments. First, students stated that their placements were well supported, providing them with a positive rural educational experience and indicating that they would consider working in a rural area, whereas preplacement, they may not have. Students described participation in interprofessional education increased their understanding of other discipline roles in clinical practice. Finally, students were able to recognise rural community health issues, including issues affecting the Indigenous community, through community engagement activities.
Comment Students who have undertaken practice education in Tamworth, Taree and other sites have received a positive rural experience and, as suggested by the literature, are more likely to return to rural locations to obtain employment.4 Three students undertaking a placement in Tamworth in 2011 commenced employment as occupational therapists in Tamworth the following year. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12104
205
CREATING POSITIVE RURAL EXPERIENCES
Acknowledgements
350 325 300 275 250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0
We would like to acknowledge the contribution from Karin Fisher, Research Academic UoNDRH for her valuable mentoring while writing this article.
Author contributions
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
FIGURE 1: Occupational therapy student numbers and ), student weeks from 2008 to 2012 across all four sites. ( ) student numbers. student weeks; (
The success of this innovative model is reliant on two factors. First, the clinicians play a central role by offering clinical placements. They have continued to offer student placements indicating that the model is working well. Second, the educational opportunities students receive during their placement create positive perceptions of working in a rural setting. The unique nature of the clinical-academic model could potentially be part of the long-term solution to recruitment and retention of occupational therapists in rural areas.
© 2014 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.
Rebecca Wolfgang contributed to the model conception, to all sections of the report and responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole. Rebecca Dutton contributed to the model conception, participants, methods, results section and to the editing as a whole. Katrina Wakely contributed to the model conception and to the editing as a whole.
References 1 O’Toole K, Schoo A, Hernan A. Why did they leave and what can they tell us? Allied health professional leaving rural settings. Australian Health Review 2010; 34: 66–72. 2 Lee S, Mackenzie L. Starting out in rural New South Wales: the experiences of new graduate occupational therapists. Australian Journal of Rural Health 2003; 11: 36–43. 3 McAuliffe T, Barnett F. Perceptions towards rural and remote practice: a study of final year occupational therapy students studying in a regional university in Australia. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 2010; 57: 293– 300. 4 Smith T, Brown L, Cooper R. A multidisciplinary model of rural allied health clinical-academic practice: a cast study. Journal of Allied Health 2009; 38: 236–241.
Aust. J. Rural Health (2014) 22, 204–205
Short Report Creating positive rural experiences for occupational therapy students Rebecca Wolfgang, BAppSc (Occ Therapy), Rebecca Dutton, B Occ Therapy, and Katrina Wakely, BAppSc (Occ Therapy) University of Newcastle, Department of Rural Health Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia
Creating positive rural experiences for occupational therapy students on placement could potentially improve the recruitment and retention of occupational therapists in rural and remote areas. Attracting and retaining allied health professionals including occupational therapists in rural Australia is a recognised problem.1,2 A positive experience on placement can influence occupational therapy students’ decisions to work rurally.3 An innovative clinical-academic model4 developed in 2003 and supported by University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health (UoNDRH) provides positive rural occupational therapy practice education across four rural sites (Tamworth, Taree, Armidale, Moree). This model relies on clinicians supervising students in the practice setting however, the difference is the additional educational and community engagement opportunities provided to students and the support provided to supervisors. This report discusses the model and its influence on student placement numbers in the four sites over the previous five years.
Participants, methods and results Occupational therapists are employed in academic roles in Tamworth (0.8 FTE) and Taree (0.4 FTE) who provide academic support and education to students undertaking practice education within the four sites. The academics have strong rural practice clinical backgrounds. The academics present discipline-specific teaching and facilitate interprofessional education for occupational therapy students. The students participate in formal interprofessional education from one to three half-day sessions focusing on a case study during their placement. They participate with students from
Correspondence: Mrs Rebecca Wolfgang, Department of Rural Health, University of Newcastle, Locked Bag 9783, Tamworth, New South Wales, NEMSC 2348, Australia. Email: [email protected] © 2014 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.
medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, nutrition and dietetics, pharmacy, and speech pathology. Students are provided cultural training and opportunities to engage in community engagement projects such as after-school learning workshops, providing an insight into health needs of rural communities. Maintaining close links with local clinicians is considered a pivotal role by the academic occupational therapists to develop and maintain student practice placements. Clinicians are well supported and given ‘time out’ from supervision. Access to local continuing professional development activities supported by UoNDRH is offered to clinicians throughout the year. Since 2008, there has been a significant increase in student weeks to 2012 (Fig. 1). More clinicians have been encouraged to offer placements over time. The decrease in student numbers from 2011 to 2012 is due to longer placements with fewer students. Occupational therapy student placement feedback was collated from an online UoNDRH student survey they are asked to complete. Three themes were identified from evaluation of their comments. First, students stated that their placements were well supported, providing them with a positive rural educational experience and indicating that they would consider working in a rural area, whereas preplacement, they may not have. Students described participation in interprofessional education increased their understanding of other discipline roles in clinical practice. Finally, students were able to recognise rural community health issues, including issues affecting the Indigenous community, through community engagement activities.
Comment Students who have undertaken practice education in Tamworth, Taree and other sites have received a positive rural experience and, as suggested by the literature, are more likely to return to rural locations to obtain employment.4 Three students undertaking a placement in Tamworth in 2011 commenced employment as occupational therapists in Tamworth the following year. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12104
205
CREATING POSITIVE RURAL EXPERIENCES
Acknowledgements
350 325 300 275 250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0
We would like to acknowledge the contribution from Karin Fisher, Research Academic UoNDRH for her valuable mentoring while writing this article.
Author contributions
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
FIGURE 1: Occupational therapy student numbers and ), student weeks from 2008 to 2012 across all four sites. ( ) student numbers. student weeks; (
The success of this innovative model is reliant on two factors. First, the clinicians play a central role by offering clinical placements. They have continued to offer student placements indicating that the model is working well. Second, the educational opportunities students receive during their placement create positive perceptions of working in a rural setting. The unique nature of the clinical-academic model could potentially be part of the long-term solution to recruitment and retention of occupational therapists in rural areas.
© 2014 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.
Rebecca Wolfgang contributed to the model conception, to all sections of the report and responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole. Rebecca Dutton contributed to the model conception, participants, methods, results section and to the editing as a whole. Katrina Wakely contributed to the model conception and to the editing as a whole.
References 1 O’Toole K, Schoo A, Hernan A. Why did they leave and what can they tell us? Allied health professional leaving rural settings. Australian Health Review 2010; 34: 66–72. 2 Lee S, Mackenzie L. Starting out in rural New South Wales: the experiences of new graduate occupational therapists. Australian Journal of Rural Health 2003; 11: 36–43. 3 McAuliffe T, Barnett F. Perceptions towards rural and remote practice: a study of final year occupational therapy students studying in a regional university in Australia. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 2010; 57: 293– 300. 4 Smith T, Brown L, Cooper R. A multidisciplinary model of rural allied health clinical-academic practice: a cast study. Journal of Allied Health 2009; 38: 236–241.
