Embedding simulation in clinical training in occupational therapy

This project will assess a Simulated Clinical Placement (SCP) that aims to fully substitute 40-hours (within one-week) of Traditional Clinical Placement ( TCP). The SCP is designed to be situated in the foundation years of an occupational therapy program where the focus of learning is on the development of professional behaviours, self-management, communication and information gathering skills that are applicable in all professional practice placement/work settings. The SCP will be designed to address the criteria stipulated by the Occupational Therapy Council for fieldwork replacement simulation-based learning hours with the aim of being eligible to contribute to the 1000 hours of clinical placement mandated within the Occupational Therapy Accreditation Standards (Occupational Therapy Council (Aust & NZ), 2013). The five criteria are: 1. Designed with a high level of authenticity for occupational therapy practice. 2. Designed with a high level of complexity requiring student engagement and interaction. 3. Delivered with immediacy to interaction with a real client (who may be portrayed by a standardised patient) and to occupational therapy clinical placements. 4. Designed and assessed with respect to meeting occupational therapy clinical placement objectives. 5. No one simulation modality can be used as a ‘stand-alone’ alternative to clinical training time (2010, p. 6). Standardised scenarios and training materials have been developed to support SCPs targeting three types of units of study within Occupational Therapy degree programs: adult physical health and productivity, adult mental health and adult community based rehabilitation. Multiple case-scenarios (including scripts, case files and DVD films / web based resources) are developed for each of these settings and diversity of learning experiences. Standardisation procedures. A research protocol and simulation implementation manual with DVDs for actors’ training has been developed. The SCP will be provided to students by academics and practice educators. All staff involved in implementing the SCP will receive training to ensure quality of SCP and implementation of RCT according to standard procedures. Students attend the SCP on-site at the University in which they are enrolled and engage in a range of activities using a variety of media: face to face meetings with supervisors, engagement with on-line learning material, interviews with actor-clients, telephone interviews with actor-professionals, off-site work-site or community visit pertinent to the case-scenario, small group meetings, mock case conference, and student-led presentations of outcomes. Each student experiences the SCP once for 40 hours in a one-week block over 5 days. This constitutes the total duration of the placement. Adherence is assessed using attendance logs.