Clinical Education Unit News August 2022

Awards

Dr Roma Forbes from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences received a citation at the Australian Awards for University Teaching for transforming health professional students into effective patient educators through innovative, scholarly and sustainable experiential learning models that significantly impact graduate preparedness for practice.

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning recognise individuals and teams who make a significant contribution to student learning; who are acknowledged for their achievements within a faculty or the wider University community; and who have received strong endorsement within their area.

Congratulations Roma!

UQ Short form credentials

SHRS has launched the very first of UQ’s Shorter Form Credentials (SFC)! It is HLTH7000S: Telehealth for Clinical Practice. A/Prof Shaun O’Leary is the course co-ordinator and the materials were developed by Prof Trevor Russell and his team. It is a 0.5 unit course that can be commenced at any time and is completed entirely online. There are no pre-requisites, but it was developed with the allied health clinician in mind. This is the first step in a new direction that UQ want to explore – postgraduate and lifelong learning.

SHRS Clinical Education Partnership Awards

In 2021, SHRS introduced the Clinical Education Partnership Awards at the SHRS End of Year Awards Presentation Event at Customs House.

The purpose of these awards will be to recognise and reward partners in clinical education who have been nominated due to their outstanding commitment to clinical education which enhances clinical learning for students in SHRS programs. Examples of quality education can include partnering to create a new student service/activity, the provision of high quality/excellence in clinical education, going above and beyond through involvement in additional activities/ initiatives, sustained engagement, and facilitation of placements. We are pleased to recognise the winners from 2021.

2021 award winners

SHRS Clinical education partnership award in Audiology – Jillian Sellars, Queensland Health

SHRS Clinical education partnership award in Occupational Therapy - Stephanie Gorrie and Lydia Cossart, Department of Education

SHRS Clinical education partnership award in Physiotherapy – Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy

SHRS Clinical education partnership award in Speech Pathology – Alex Gorrie, Department of Education

Welcome to Asako Clear

Asako Clear joined CEU at the end of February to cover the role of Administrative Assistant while Erin is on parental leave until January 2023. Asako previously worked in tertiary education for several years in the UK and New Zealand, and in 2014 she moved to Brisbane with her family and has been enjoying life here.

Congratulations to Erin who is enjoying time at home with her new daughter, Emily, a sister to Harrison.

Check it out!

The SHRS clinical education webpage has been updated with a fresh new look and additional clinical education resources for Hosting Allied Health Placements in Private Practice Settings. These have been designed in partnership with private practice providers and include information on integrating and hosting students along with a series of very interesting podcasts where practitioners share their own experiences.

In addition, SHRS staff involved in clinical education have put together a series of short videos on popular clinical education topics. There are 21 videos in the Building Skills in Clinical Education series ranging from approximately, 2-6 mins each in length. Each video has been developed to provide current and prospective educators with valuable insights on a range of topics relevant to supporting student placements. You may recognise a few faces from the CEU!

Publications

Members of our clinical education team have participated in several research collaborations, including with other universities. Following is a list of publications released so far in 2022. You might like to review titles that catch your eye and link them to student learning experiences in your setting.

Forbes, Roma , Dinsdale, Alana, Hill, Anne, Booth, Jodie, Cain, Daniella, Crabb, Meagan, Dunwoodie, Ruth, Hunter, Lucy, Sher, Auriel and Copley, Jodie (2022).Strategies used to host allied health students in private practice placements: the perspective of private practices and clinical education coordinators. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 23 (1), 31-47.

Forbes, Roma, Dinsdale, Alana, Copley, Jodie, Booth, Jodie, Cain, Daniella, Crabb, Meagan, Dunwoodie, Ruth, Hunter, Lucy, Sher, Auriel and Hill, Anne (2022).The benefits and barriers of hosting students within allied health private practice settings: The perspective of private practice and clinical education coordinators. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 11 (1). doi: 10.53300/001c.34708

Hill, Anne E., Bartle, Emma, Copley, Jodie A., Olson, Rebecca, Dunwoodie, Ruth, Barnett, Tessa and Zuber, Alice (2022).The VOTIS, part 1: development and pilot trial of a tool to assess students’ interprofessional skill development using video-reflexive ethnography. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 1-9. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2022.2052270

Olson, Rebecca E., Copley, Jodie A., Bartle, Emma, Hill, Anne E., Barnett, Tessa, Dunwoodie, Ruth and Zuber, Alice (2022).The VOTIS, part 2: Using a video-reflexive assessment activity to foster dispositional learning in interprofessional education. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 1-8. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2022.2037531

Milne, Nikki, Dunwoodie, Ruth, Kirwin, Garry, Palmer, Tanya, Gauchwin, Julie, Donovan, Michael, Dyson, Carla, Hams, Andrea and Hill, Anne (2022).Educating the educator: evaluation of a standardised format, one-day clinical educator workshop on the assessment of physiotherapy student performance in clinical placement. Australian Journal of Clinical Education. doi: 10.53300/001c.32993

Peiris, Casey L, Reubenson, Alan, Dunwoodie, Ruth, Lawton, Vidya, Francis-Cracknell, Alison and Wells, Cherie (2022).Clinical placements in private practice for physiotherapy students are perceived as safe and beneficial for students, private practices and universities: a national mixed-methods study. Journal of Physiotherapy, 68 (1), 61-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jphys.2021.12.007

Did you know?

SPICE grew out of the desire for speech pathologists with an interest in clinical education to connect and share ideas, experiences and resources. SPICE’s aim is to make clinical education information and resources widely available and to create a supportive environment for discussing all things clinical education. 

SPICE is hosted on the groups.io platform. We invite you to join the SPICE group by following the link and clicking the ‘Apply for Membership in This Group’ button.

Please feel welcome to share this information or the link to the SPICE group with your colleagues. We look forward to connecting with you through this group and developing a thriving clinical education community.

The SPICE project team

Dr Simone Howells (Griffith University)

Lucy Lyons (Mater Health)

Dr Rebecca Armstrong (The University of Queensland)

Assoc Prof Anne Hill (The University of Queensland)

by Letizua Leung – Final year physiotherapy student

Mater Smiling for Smiddy was initiated in memory of Adam Smiddy, a talented triathlete, a physiotherapist at PA hospital and a UQ alumnus, who passed away from aggressive melanoma in 2006. It all began with Sharky, Adam’s triathlon coach, and his two mates decided to cycle 1600km from Brisbane to Adam’s hometown, Home Hill, to raise fund for cancer research and to honour Adam. Over the years, the ride has evolved into 71 Smiddy events, raising over $12 million for Mater Foundation to support lifesaving cancer research.

It was a huge privilege to participate in the Mater Smiling for Smiddy – Challenge in the Tropics 2022 as a UQ physiotherapy student. My experience was a bit different from the previous students who went on the original 9-day Brisbane to Townsville Challenge, mainly because the Challenge in the Tropics 2022 was ran in a new format and route, but I can guarantee those 5 days were truly incredible.

As soon as I found out I was going on the Smiddy Challenge, I was really keen to join the weekend training ride and the Wednesday river loop rides, but the floods prevented me from doing so. It would be nice to have met some riders and fellow road crews before setting off, but to my relief they took me in as part of the Smiddy family from the very first day we met in Cairns. The road crew this year was made up of 25 amazing individuals who dedicated their time to drive the support vehicles, direct traffic, feed the crew and take care of all the logistics. Many of whom were previous Smiddy riders or volunteers who kept coming back year after year. I had the opportunity to spend 5 days with these legends to support the riders in completing the 680km ride in Far North Queensland.

I typically spent my time in one of the support vehicles during the day - I was told the physio student usually got the best ride and I would totally agree on that. Safe to say I am now competent in navigating and assisting with traffic control. During the day, I usually helped out with road crew duties such as packing up, refilling snacks and water bottles; some days I would also do a bit of treatment during morning tea or lunch, but it varied depending on the schedule. Treatment would usually occur from mid-afternoon at the accommodation after the daily traditional ‘Smiddy huddle’.

I was supervised by Allsports physiotherapist, Sam, who was also a rider on the Challenge; and we worked closely with the Allsports massage therapist. Common treatments included TPR/STM upper traps, QL, gluts, hip flexors, TFL, hamstrings and gastroc. Apart from putting my elbow into good use (pointy elbows for TPR were very welcomed by the Smiddy riders), my other duties included setting up and packing away physio equipment. Physio and massage sessions would usually finish by dinner - my days were comparatively shorter (around 0500-2100) than those who went on the Brisbane to Townsville ride, and it was feasible to squeeze in a run in the morning before rolling out.  

Dinner was one of the highlights in the Smiddy Challenge, with the two pelotons comparing their riding stats and having a good laugh. This was usually followed by a Smiddy rider or road crew sharing their ‘whys’. It was a humbling experience to listen to the stories and personal accounts from individuals from all walks of life. Each night a jersey would be presented to a rider or road crew who went above and beyond in their Smiddy journey - they were the testimonies of the Smiddy ethos of Teamwork, Spirit and Mateship. 

When I first heard about the Smiling for Smiddy placement, I thought it would be an opportunity to explore a different side of musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Little did I know I would become a part of an amazing community, make friends along the way and develop some valuable life skills. The stunning scenery, inspiring individuals and new experiences have made this placement unique and enriching.

As part of the placement I also spent 4 weeks at Allsports Jindalee shadowing different physiotherapists, tagging along exercise testing and joining in the pilates class. It definitely widened my perspectives on private practice. The placement at Allsports would be a fantastic experience for all who are keen on pursuing musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy down the track. It was a steep learning curve at first, but my clinical educators were very supportive in guiding me through my first placement, preparing me for the Smiddy challenge and showing me the ropes throughout the weeks. I am thankful for Mater Smiling for Smiddy and Allsports Jindalee for this amazing journey.

by Deborah Lam, Wen Xuan Ong and Charis Tze Huei Shui - Final Year Speech Pathology Students

We went to Darwin, at Alawa Primary School, for our fourth year block placement. Our role there was to support Transition (also known as Prep in QLD) to Year two students who were flagged for Speech Pathology services in the areas of speech, language and literacy. We provided intensive intervention, with sessions four times per week for a period of six weeks.

Through this placement, we were very surprised to learn about the limited speech services available in Darwin, as well as the waiting period following referrals due to high demands of speech services. We were also very surprised by the level of independence this placement demands. This led to a steep learning curve as we had to learn how to balance expectations from all key stakeholders (e.g., principals, teachers, parents and students) whilst balancing the demands of clinical practice. Given the school context that we were working in, it was challenging to meet the different priorities and schedules of the different stakeholders in order to find shared times to engage in collaborative practice.

However, our greatest accomplishment we have experienced so far is being able to see the fruits of our hard work after intensive intervention. We were able to experience first-hand the value of early intervention, and how targeting foundational skills can lead to improvements and generalisations beyond sessions. This has been very encouraging!

Aside from placements itself, we were able to explore Darwin during the weekend. We went to Crocosaurus Cove and got to hold a baby crocodile! We were so surprised at how soft the underside of the croc was! The baby croc was just too cute! Wen Xuan and Charis also got the chance to swim with crocodiles (within the safety of a cage of course). We definitely have a newfound appreciation and love for crocodiles after this!

For future students going on block placement outside of Brisbane, our tip is to not miss the opportunity to enjoy any experiences available outside of placement. Yes, placement might be very demanding, but you need to rest too! And what better way to get a breather than to enjoy what the place you are in can provide? Set out at least once a week to go and explore the area.

Also, another tip is - don’t be afraid to reward yourself throughout the placement. Got through another week? Reward yourself, you deserve it! Just don’t ask us how many cups of bubble tea we have consumed during this block just for rewarding ourselves.

If you haven’t already, please take the time to read The Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences News Update, where research and new developments are discussed.

For interesting news from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, please visit the news webpage.

Would you like to be involved in research activities currently being explored by our disciplines at UQ?  Current projects are listed below with contact details if you would like to be involved.

1. Project Title: Allied Health Students’ training needs and readiness for clinical placement.

A UQ study is calling for Allied Health clinical educators working in rural settings or supervising students who use telehealth to participate in a 20 minute telephone interview. The project aims to find out how prepared students are, and their support needs whilst on placement.  

If you are interested in participating in the study, follow the link to provide your email: https://bit.ly/3CEIMA5 

2. Research Title: The Impact of a Structured Interprofessional Education Clinical Placement on Student Interprofessional Collaborative Functioning

Clinical educators with recent experience supervising students on clinical placements needed

Our study is looking at how health professional students develop collaborative practice skills during their clinical placements. We are needing clinical supervisor participants from a range of health professions for their perspective on this.

We’re looking for clinicians who have recently supervised students on traditional/usual clinical placements (not structured interprofessional placements) to give us their feedback about this. This would involve a one hour group discussion in a focus group via Zoom, or on-site if preferred. Catering could be provided for on-site focus groups. Industry-based Clinical Educators may need to check with their manager/supervisor about their permission to participate in the study – for example, the organization may require a gatekeeper approval or ethics approval process to be completed prior to staff contributing data to the research.

For further information about participation, please contact Sonya through email: s.mattiazzi@uq.net.au.

SHRS is committed to providing clinical educator (CE) support and training. We have been offering clinical education and support strategies in an interprofessional model since 2005, with our suite providing specific sessions for beginners and experienced CEs, for a range of settings and sectors.

As clinical educators who engage in the learning and development of SHRS students whilst on professional practice placements, we welcome you to apply.

Upcoming workshops include:

• Interprofessional introduction to clinical education workshop - Thursday 29 September 2022
• Interprofessional advanced workshops
   - Facilitating clinical reasoning in professional practice - Thursday 1 September 2022
   - Facilitating solutions to challenges in learning - Thursday 1 September 2022

Please visit the Clinical Education Workshops webpage for more details of these upcoming workshops, and links to register.

Clinical Education Unit                                                    

School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences 
Seddon Central (82B)                                                                
The University of Queensland
St Lucia  QLD  4072
E: ceu.shrs@uq.edu.au
P: 3365 4516

Administration Staff

ceu.shrs@uq.edu.au   P: 3365 4516

Nicola Townsend

Claron Driscoll

Asako Clear  

Clinical Education Liaison Managers (CELM)

Occupational Therapy  

Jodie Booth 
P: 3365 8206

Wendy Hood
P: 3365 4518

Physiotherapy 

Ruth Dunwoodie
P: 3365 2012

Michael Donovan
P: 3365 4508

Speech Pathology & Audiology

Lucy Hunter
P: 3365 3164

Daniella Cain
P: 3346 7463