ERGP3 Independent professional practice under supervision - clinical placement

Contents and structure

The course implies that the student is in supervised clinical placement within an arena where occupational therapists work, and as a rule has an occupational therapist as supervisor. The student will focus on and apply practical knowledge based on the conceptual foundations in occupational therapy and evidence-based practice. The purpose will be to perform independent professional practice, under supervision. The student must also prepare and implement learning objectives and a plan for the clinical placement. In addition, the student must complete 1) learning situations with a subsequent reflective note, 2) activity analysis, and 3) critical assessment of and presentation of a scientific paper relevant to the workplace and 4) interprofessional collaboration.

Relevant working methods will be independent work, under supervision, at all phases of an occupational therapy intervention process, critical assessment of one's own professional practice, interprofessional collaboration, reporting/documentation, and pedagogical facilitation and supervision. Students must write an individual assignment regarding the users’ need for treatment focusing on interprofessional collaboration, 1000 words +/- 10%.

During the clinical placement, the students should search for and, using a checklist or app, critically evaluate at least one relevant scientific paper related to the clinical placement (and learning objectives and plan). The students must present the content of the paper to the supervisor during the clinical placement.

A more detailed description of assignments related to the clinical placement will be published in the learning platform Canvas.

Learning Outcome

A student who has completed the course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

 

Knowledge:

The student...

• has broad knowledge of human biology, medicine, psychology, pedagogy, humanities, social sciences, and technology in the performance of occupational therapy at the practice site

• can discuss how people's activity, participation and health affect each other and interact with the environment throughout the life course

• has broad knowledge of occupational therapy work processes and methods that promote activity and participation

• can reflect on how activity analysis can be used innovatively in development of services

• has broad knowledge of the connections between disability and health

 

Skills:

The student...

• can completely master occupational therapy intervention process models

• can carry out systematic activity analysis at individual/group/system level, and develop interventions to enable participation

• can apply professional knowledge about adaptation of activities, and in collaboration with the service recipient apply activities methodically to promote activity performance

• can plan and facilitate for participation in meaningful and valued activities for people with disabilities, by applying advisory, resource-oriented, empowering, problem-solving and creative strategies that promote activity and participation

• can find and refer to legislation that is relevant to the professional practice of occupational therapy

• can identify, reflect on and apply therapeutic and ethical expertise in collaboration with users, patients, relatives and relevant personnel

• can apply professional knowledge about meaningful activity to promote health for people in habilitation, rehabilitation, treatment and palliation

• can apply relevant professional knowledge about children, young people, adults or the elderly, and the experiential competence of persons and relatives, in therapeutic interaction

• can apply professional knowledge about and implement interventions and/or treatment for people with social and health challenges, or refer to other services if necessary

• can apply professional knowledge and make professional assessments, decisions and actions in line with evidence-based practice

 

General qualifications:

The student can…

• has knowledge of and follows the professional ethical guidelines for occupational therapists to promote people's right to activity and participation

• can convey and document professional occupational therapy practice to users and collaborators

• can plan and collaborate interdisciplinary, interprofessional, cross-sectoral and across companies and levels, and initiate such collaboration

• can plan and carry out treatment or services that ensure users 'and relatives' participation and rights

• can exchange views and experiences that ensure equal services and contribute to the development of good practice

• can assess and prevent the risk of adverse events and knows methods for systematic follow-up of such events

Entry requirements

The course is open to students from institutions with which the education has entered into an agreement. The students must have passed the first and second years of a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy.

Recommended previous knowledge

None

Teaching methods

During the clinical placement, the students usually have an occupational therapist as a supervisor, who has weekly supervision with the student. Learning objectives and plan are followed up by both a teacher and the supervisor. The student's work related to learning goals and plan, learning situations, activity analysis and critical assessment of a scientific paper will also be discussed in tutorials. Other topics that are relevant to the student and the workplace can also be addressed in tutorials.

 

A teacher from the education provides feedback on and approve learning objectives and plans for the clinical placement. Follow-up, usually in the form of a digital meeting or phone call, is carried out by the teacher approximately midway through the clinical placement.

 

During the clinical placement, students must follow laws, instructions, internal rules and working hours that apply at the individual practice workplace. Students have a duty of confidentiality in line with other personnel at the workplace. At the beginning of the study, each student signs a confidentiality agreement for the entire study period, including practical studies. The education wants the students to have access to participate in the institution's/department's meetings and any internal teaching that may be important for the benefits of the clinical placement. This is up to the workplace to decide.

 

Students must also have time for self-study corresponding to one working day per week. Allocated time for self-study must be adapted to work routines at the individual workplace, which the student and supervisor agree on. It is not possible to save study time, in order to shorten the period of clinical placement. A work effort equivalent to 40 hours per week is expected; 30 hours at the workplace and 10 hours for self-study.

Compulsory learning activities

None

Assessment

An assessment is conducted, as a conversation between the student and the supervisor mid-term (mid-term assessment) and one at the end (final assessment) of the clinical placement. The supervisor and the student fill in the assessment forms. The supervisor recommends passed/failed clinical placement. The teacher is responsible for the final assessment of the clinical placement.

Clinical placement is assessed as passed/failed. The assessment is based on the student's performance in practice, which includes whether the learning outcomes (learning goals and plan for practice) have been met. The assessment also includes the completion of learning situations, activity analysis, and the presentation of a critically appraised scientific paper.

Requirements for 90% attendance must be met, and the assignment on interprofessional collaboration must be passed.

If there is doubt as to whether the student will reach the learning outcomes and pass the clinical placement, and the doubt arises before the student is halfway through the practice period, the student must be notified in writing. In the notice, the supervisor must state what the student does not master, and which requirements must be met in order to pass the period.

New clinical placement

No new assessment is arranged in a course of clinical placement. Failed clinical placement entails changed study progression where the clinical placement is completed in its entirety together with the next class.

 

Examination support material

None

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