Providing a Clinical Placement Students Will Not Forget
Elaine Newman1, Alan Reubenson21Armadale Kalamunda Group, Perth, WA, Australia2Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA, Australia
Abstract
Training future health care professionals in delivering best practice dementia care is a key recommendation from the Royal Aged Care Commission.
The Armadale Kalamunda Group (AKG) and Curtin University have partnered for more than 18months to provide fourth year Physiotherapy students with a clinical placement that provides an opportunity to support patients with dementia and delirium, facilitated by the team of trained “Forget Me Not” volunteers and AKG Dementia Lead.
The CHEL placement is a hybrid clinical and non-clinical placement and students are provided with learning opportunities that span four key areas: 1) Business Practice; 2) Community Health; 3) Education; and 4) Leadership. The “Forget Me Not” placement focuses on building a better understanding of dementia and delirium, optimising communication, and meaningful engagement within a person-centred framework on a rehabilitation and palliative care ward.
The placement places a strong emphasis on reflective practice and students are required to compile a placement portfolio to demonstrate their development across the CHEL components as well as highlight how they will integrate their new skills into future clinical physiotherapy practice. Students also complete a series of pre and post placement questionnaires, measuring their confidence in supporting patients with dementia and delirium, as well as attitudes towards people living with dementia using validated assessment tools.
To date, 64 students have participated in the placement. This presentation will describe the placement and its outcomes in more detail, including some powerful reflections from the students themselves.
Biography
Biographies to come