Health Matters 37
education & training
Enhancing physiotherapy education Challenging traditional clinical education models and harnessing new HSE practice education initiatives can have significant benefits for service provision in physiotherapy, according to Aileen Barrett (RCSI) and Sarah Slattery (CUH). Senior physiotherapist, Liz O’Sullivan said that while the placement demanded a new perspective as a teacher as well as clinician, this was a welcome learning experience and she also commented on the high standard of the service provided to patients. Since the pilot was carried out, this model has successfully been incorporated into the placement provision schedule and has been repeated in the gym and the geriatric rehabilitation unit settings. Guidelines for this model are currently being developed based on the CUH experience. Details of this model were presented at the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) Conferences in 2010. L-R: Sarah Slattery, Practice Tutor CUH and Aileen Barrett, RCSI with students Aideen Henry, Sarah Jane Bennett, Jane Dickson and Sarah McShane Back row: Sinead Glennon, Physiotherapy manager and Liz O’Sullivan, Senior Physiotherapist
C
linical education is a key feature of undergraduate physiotherapy degree programmes across the world. In Ireland, students must complete 1000 hours in supervised clinical practice to be eligible for membership of the professional body, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. The establishment of practice tutor posts by the HSE over the last five years has contributed significantly to the quality of clinical teaching provided to these students and to the development of clinical placement capacity in HSE hospitals.
Placement Models Traditional undergraduate placement models see one student supervised by one clinician, a 1:1 model of education. In October 2009 the School of Physiotherapy at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Physiotherapy Department at Cork University Hospital collaborated on a new 4:1 placement model, the brainchild of Sarah Slattery, practice tutor in physiotherapy at CUH. Four final-year
HM Iss7.1 p1-70.indd 37
students were placed in the rehabilitation gym for six weeks, under the supervision of Sarah and senior physiotherapist, Liz O’Sullivan. Together with the four students, Liz and Sarah managed the entire rehab gym caseload allowing two junior physiotherapists to be redeployed to the wards. According to Sinead Glennon, physiotherapy manager, this facilitated increased activity of the inpatient ward physiotherapy service, improving the quality of service by allowing increased frequency and length of treatments. The pilot resulted in 1.62 WTE posts being redeployed, the equivalent of 340.2 hours of clinical time and a 50 per cent reduction in gym waiting times.
Feedback After the placement, the students were unanimous in their views that this model provided a unique and high-quality education experience, incorporating facets of supported and peer learning, team-working abilities and graded independence.
Take-home message New and creative models of clinical education can have significant benefits for undergraduate students, patients and clinical staff, fostering relationships between the Higher Education Institutions and the HSE, creating professional development opportunities for staff as well having huge efficiency implications for services in these challenging times.
For further information Aileen Barrett Practice Education Co-ordinator at the School of Physiotherapy Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland / Chartered Physiotherapist Email: abarrett@rcsi.ie; Tel: (01) 402 8666 Sarah Slattery Practice Tutor at the Department of Physiotherapy in Cork University Hospital / Chartered Physiotherapist. Email: sarah.slattery@hse.ie
16/03/2011 16:10:20