A fantastic cohort of Griffith University occupational therapy (OT) students and physiotherapy students have just wrapped up a ten-week placement with UCRH.
Across various settings, primarily in aged care, the students were able to apply their knowledge and skills working with patients and preparing themselves to finish their degrees and launch their careers. Their placements saw them working variously at Whiddon Aged Care; Bonalbo, Urbenville and Kyogle Multipurpose Centres, and Grafton Hospital.
We took the opportunity to sit down with them on their final day in the Northern Rivers and asked the group to reflect on their experiences.
The group all agreed the most valuable aspect of their placement was the patient interaction, with the students calling out their realisation of how long it takes to build rapport with a patient. The advantage of their ten-week placement was that they had enough time to connect with patients, engagement deeply with their needs and then see change from the interventions they designed and implemented.
While Griffith University OT students generally have a ten-week placement, for the physio students, this extended placement was longer than usual, and were part of a UCRH-led research project. This work involves evaluating the placements with a view to facilitate development of a rural placement model for health students that not only works but is embraced and sustainable in rural and remote communities.
The placements the cohort undertook was long, but was also a style of placement that UCRH is continuing to develop: service learning placements. Service-learning placements are co-designed with community partner organisations like Whiddon, and follow a long-arm supervision model where our clinical educators are onsite with students during designated times and available remotely for additional support.
The Griffith University students worked with two UCRH clinical educators, Lewis Grove (physiotherapy) and Sarah Crook (OT). The students were enthusiastic in their gratitude to Lew and Sarah, and spoke about how helpful it was to have highly experienced practitioners guiding them. They commented how it made them feel safe, supported and respected even though they were yet to graduate.
This positivity extended to the care and assistance they received from UCRH education support officers, Rebecca Jordan and Maria Klassen. Bec and Maria’s role is to facilitate arrangements for placements and to help students with health and wellbeing, social connections, accommodation, and linking them into additional educational opportunities.
The students all said they made them feel warmly welcomed, and that they could go to either about anything.
The insights this group of students shared is something we hope that is echoed by all other students who come to UCRH. We work hard to provide placements that are flexible and tailored to each student’s learning needs. We want them to build autonomy and confidence within a supportive and safe environment, and to have an experience of rural living they’ll never forget.
We’re very proud of these students and wish them well as they complete their degrees.
