“Their nerves can start to take a back seat instead of a front seat”
The use of a simulation-based learning experience to decrease allied health student anxiety and improve readiness for clinical placement.
Teresa Petrich1, Natalie Ciccone1, Brennen Mills1, Abigail Lewis1, Sara Hansen1, Emily Brogan1 1Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
Abstract
Clinical placements are an essential component of allied health student training, however they are also a significant source of stress and anxiety for students. Excessive anxiety has well established links to decreased capacity to learn and decreased performance on assessment tasks, which are two critical outcomes of clinical placements. When high levels of anxiety impact student performance, it is difficult for clinical educators to determine whether performance issues are due to student competency, or are a result of excess anxiety.
Simulation-based learning experiences (SBLEs) can improve student readiness for clinical placements by working to alleviate placement-related anxiety. However there are barriers to the use of SBLEs, including the development of content, financial costs, resourcing and access to facilities.
A mixed-methods study conducted at Edith Cowan University with two consecutive cohorts of speech pathology students investigated the use of an existing hospital ward based SBLE, developed by Speech Pathology Australia. The program was successfully delivered as preparation for clinical placement in its original 5-day format, and subsequently in a modified 2-day format requiring fewer resources. Both cohorts showed comparable decreases in their ratings of placement-related anxiety, and increases in their confidence and sense of preparedness for clinical placements.
This presentation will focus on the potential for multidisciplinary application of the SBLE and practical strategies for implementation. Commonalities between the sources of clinical placement related anxiety across allied health disciplines will be discussed, along with the similarities between the professional competencies required of students from various disciplines.
Biography
Teresa Petrich is a speech pathologist and lecturer at Edith Cowan University with a particular interest in the way allied health students are prepared for clinical placements and for the transition from student to the workforce. Teresa is currently completing her Masters by Research investigating the use of high-fidelity simulation-based learning experiences as student preparation for clinical placements.