Preparedness for Practice

The COVID-19 pandemic saw major shifts in the working practices of all professions, and allied health professionals (AHPs) are no exception. In particular, it led to a steep rise in the use of telehealth. With continued pressure upon healthcare workforces and telehealth delivery becoming embedded within services, there is an ongoing need for educators to prepare healthcare students in telehealth protocols prior to practice-based learning. A team from the School of Health Professions has been working with La Trobe University, Melbourne, on an international research project to explore how the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours for traditional face to face practice such as professionalism, etiquette, relationship building, and interpersonal skills and behaviours, apply in a telehealth context for AHPs. The research has included a scoping review of some 92,535 (40 for the final review) covering 32 different AHPs existing in the UK and Australia.

The UoP research team includes: Dr Krithika Anil, Dr Sally Abey, Professor Jennifer Freeman and Christie Robinson.

A more specific modification to a training programme resulting from COVID-19 is the OT Hybrid PEEP model which has supported Occupational Therapy (OT) students by utilising peer group learning and linking students with community organisations in emerging areas of practice virtually via Zoom. Researchers from the Schools of Health Professions and Nursing and Midwifery have been undertaking an evaluation of the model. This has involved exploring the views of the students, long arm occupational therapy supervisors and onsite supervisors of this innovative placement model used during COVID.

The research team includes: Jen Rolfe, Dr Alison Warren, Sarah Reynolds, Dr Toni Page, Emily Thubron and Shaen Milward.

A team from Peninsula Dental School led by Professor Catherine Coelho is currently undertaking a HEE South-West Simulation Network funded project to develop a Mixed Reality training package for students training to be allied healthcare professionals. This package will help AHPs to identify common dental issues, thus optimising patient care and appropriate referral pathways.

PIHR researchers have recently been making significant strides in the area of dental education research. Commissioned by the General Dental Council (GDC) in preparation of the UK leaving the European Union (EU), research led by PIHR's Professor Tom Gale explored dental education standards across the EU. This found variation between, and within, countries in the provision of dental education standards. In addition, the research found that there have been many proposals for harmonisation between Member States but little evidence of these having been implemented. Variation was also found in how dental education was quality assured – see New report maps international dental training provision .

A number of projects on dental education projects take place within the University’s Peninsula Dental School. A recent example includes a collaboration between the schools’ Dr Aengus Kelly and the School of Society and Culture’s Dr John Matthews, to develop equality and diversity clinical scenarios for dental students with the help of acting students, funded through the Arts Health Collaboration Fund.

Hanks S. Health Education England, Education innovation in dentistry: Ensuring an education continuum. Collaboration Plymouth, Liverpool & Newcastle Dental Schools. £15,000 Awarded January 2021

Hanks S, Ranauta A, Coelho C, Danos N, Elango N, (plus students - names TBC) A scoping study to explore Black students’ perceptions from two different dental schools on a career in academic dentistry or dentistry. Internal funding QMUL & UoP £4000. June 2022 – December 2022

PIHR researchers have been undertaking a range of studies on the preparedness for practice both medical students and graduates.

Medical graduates preparedness for anticipated healthcare needs: The aim of this study is to investigate whether graduates are prepared for the future healthcare needs specifically: 1. the changing patient-doctor relationship 2. the doctor in a multi-disciplinary team and 3. complex clinical decision making. This research used a mixed methods design including a rapid review of the literature, inter-professional simulation and qualitative interviews with stakeholders. This study was funded by the GMC.

2020 medical graduates: The work and wellbeing of interim Foundation Year 1 (FiY1) doctors during COVID-19: All new doctors face challenges at the point of transition to practice, but FiY1s faced this in an extraordinary context. This GMC funded study explored the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on medical students training and transition to work on their well-being

Student perceptions of teamwork education: Researchers within the Peninsula School of Medicine have been exploring’ perceptions of teamwork education amongst fourth year medical students. Watson, Dolley, Perwaiz, Saxelby, Bertone, Burr, Collett, Jeffery, Zahra. 

Anaesthetic training: Professor Tom Gale and Dr Marie Bryce have been awarded funding from the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia to deliver a two year project exploring the stressors in anaesthetic training and mechanisms to improve trainee wellbeing.

We secured funding from Higher Education England (HEE) to investigate a new initiative in the South West called CLIP (Collaborative Learning in Practice) which is a coaching and peer-learning model for students’ placement learning that replaces the old mentorship model. The Nursing and Midwifery Council explicitly ended mentorship in 2018 with their new standards, and this coincided with our need to increase placement capacity.

Our research began in acute sector placements and has moved into the community. Adele Kane led this across the region as School of Nursing and Midwifery Associate Head of the School of Nursing & Midwifery (SNAM) for Placements. Graham Williamson, Associate Professor in Adult Nursing in SNAM based in Exeter, was Principal Investigator for the research and lead author on the related publications. Our team, included nursing and midwifery, HEE and trust staff have generated several publications about future nursing workforce. This engagement with local NHS, GP practices and private sector organisations is essential for impact as they are the future employers of our graduates.

Following a successful conclusion, Kane and Williamson, with a team of SNAM staff, have secured further funding from HEE to evaluate CLIP in GP nursing settings in selected Primary Care Networks in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

The South West Clinical Schools are undertaking three nursing workforce related R&D projects for HEE – looking into (a) factors explaining why the South West is a 'net exporter' of registered nurses; (b) experiences of nursing associates undertaking this new role supporting the RN workforce and (c) scoping training and educational needs for nursing associates working in hospices and implementing a training programme.

Preparing the future workforce for practice also means preparing them for the increasing role that digital is playing in healthcare. The Centre for Health Technology’s Dr Toni Page examined the prospects for embedding digital within the nursing curriculum as part of her PhD. 

PIHR researchers are also engaged in pedagogic research more generally. CAMERa's Division of Education and Scholarship (DES) brings together core teaching staff from the Peninsula Medical and Dental Schools undertaking scholarship and research related to teaching and learning. 

Much of Professor Lucy Spowart's work has focused on the professionalisation and enhancement of teaching in higher education, as well as the continuing professional development of the healthcare workforce. Her recent work has included a study of the impact of Principal Fellowships on individuals and their institutions for Advance HE.