Practice Placements Research Articles

Predictors of Happiness and Life Satisfaction among University Teacher-Trainees on Internship

The study investigated the factors that drive happiness and life satisfaction among university teacher trainees on school practice internship. It was a purely qualitative study that employed explorative methods and a phenomenological design because it dealt with the subjective experiences about happiness and life satisfaction during internship as a phenomenon. It was conducted on a population of 25 participants drawn from a total population of about 700 teacher trainees on internship placement. The respondents were selected using both purposive and convenient sampling technique. These methods were preferred because purposively, the respondents were teacher trainees on internship and conveniently, they were under the supervision of the corresponding author. Data was collected using in depth interviews and analysed using themes and narratives drawn from the transcribed data. Results’ presentation, analysis and discussions was done concurrently. The findings revealed that happiness and life satisfaction among teacher trainees on internship school practice placement is determined by economic and financial drivers, supervision processes, collegial social support and connections, student or learner attributes, logistical provisions and follow up factors. As a result of the findings, universities invested in teacher training and schools hosting internship teacher trainees are required to boost the university-based and school-based factors in order to promote happiness and life satisfaction among the trainees respectively through provision of teaching practice logistics, supervisor support and evaluation, student/learner discipline, as conditions aimed at enhancing happiness, for the end goals of academic achievement

Commentary: ‘I never knew it was so prevalent’: experiences and perceptions of student health visitors recognising and responding to domestic abuse in practice placement settings

Commentary: ‘I never knew it was so prevalent’: experiences and perceptions of student health visitors recognising and responding to domestic abuse in practice placement settings

‘I never knew it was so prevalent’: Experiences and perceptions of student health visitors recognising and responding to domestic abuse in practice placement settings

Background: Health visitors have a key role in supporting and protecting adults and children affected by domestic abuse. Aims: The study aimed to examine the experiences and perceptions of student health visitors recognising and responding to domestic abuse in practice placement settings. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five student health visitors in the United Kingdom. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Results: Four superordinate themes were identified: ‘part and parcel of health visiting practice’; ‘challenges in identifying domestic abuse’; ‘uncertainty and apprehension’; ‘strengthening knowledge and confidence’. All participants had engaged in practice activities related to domestic abuse within SCPHN placements, commonly expressing a sense of disbelief at the scale of the issue in practice. Difficulties and unease regarding identification and management of domestic abuse were reported. Access to support and opportunities to reflect and ‘talk things through’ were found to be important for students regarding this sphere of practice. Conclusions: The findings contribute to the body of knowledge about domestic abuse-related practice within nursing. Recommendations made may contribute to practice development and help inform future teaching and educational strategies within SCPHN programmes.

Young people's right to flourish: A 21st century social justice issue for youth and community work

AbstractThis article argues for youth and community work (YCW) to be recognised for its critical role in working alongside young people to enhance their well‐being. We supply amalgamated vignettes as evidence from student's placement practice and explore the value of informal education practices in YCW in more formal settings. We assert that it is important to offer recognition of the distinctive methodologies YCW practitioners employ to enable meaningful engagement with young people. We argue young people's well‐being is a 21st century social justice issue of primary concern to YCWs. Cuts to youth services have led to a crisis in the YCW workforce, which urgently needs to be addressed. Therefore, as a reminder of the ongoing need for young people to be at the heart of integrated and holistic policies, the anonymised vignettes supply reflections on student professional practice placement that take account of their experiences of working collaboratively with schools. Policy makers should seek ways of drawing on YCW student's perspectives and in working to develop parity of esteem with other social professions, create environments in which young people can flourish. This article therefore joins the recent calls from the YCW sector for the need to fund and re‐grow YCW.

Impact of renality-CASE training on knowledge, skills, and practices in peritoneal dialysis catheter placement among nephrologists.

Despite being an effective home-based kidney replacement therapy, peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains underutilized. The aim of the Renality-CASE training program was to assess its impact on nephrologists by expanding their knowledge of PD therapy and enhancing their catheter placement skills to better offer the PD option. The Renality-CASE program provided two days of training, including theoretical lectures, virtual reality sessions, and hands-on practice of PD catheter placement on live pigs. Eighty-eight participants attended four sessions. An anonymized online questionnaire collected demographic data, self-assessments of knowledge and skills, and feedback. Pre- and post-training comparisons were analyzed using paired samples t-tests and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with significance at p < 0.05. Fifty-seven out of 88 participants responded to the survey one-year post-training. Post-training, 94.7% felt at least moderately knowledgeable compared to 61.4% pre-training (p < 0.001). Confidence in skills increased to 73.6% post-training from 26% pre-training (p < 0.001). The number of PD catheters placed by participants also rose significantly (p = 0.012). The program received positive feedback and high satisfaction rates. The Renality-CASE program significantly improved nephrologists' PD catheter placement skills through comprehensive training. Despite limitations such as sample size and response bias, the study highlights the need for standardized PD training to enhance clinical practice and increase PD utilization in CKD management.

Instructional Leadership and Implementation of Inclusive Education Practices of School Heads

This study determined the relationship between instructional leadership practices and implementation of inclusive education practices of public elementary and secondary school heads in the Division of Camarines Norte. The study employed descriptive-correlational research design with survey questionnaire checklist as the data-gathering instrument. Total enumeration was employed in this study which involved one hundred two (102) teachers, twenty-one (21) public elementary school heads, and fifteen (15) secondary school heads in the locale of the study. Based on the findings, it is concluded that the public elementary and secondary school heads very satisfactorily implemented their instructional leadership practices along school-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards, teaching standards and pedagogies, teacher performance feedback, learner achievement and other performance indicators, learning assessment, learning environment and career awareness and opportunities except learners’ discipline wherein they were rated outstanding. Moreover, they almost fully implemented the inclusive education practices along identification, assessment, and placement, developing individual education plan, providing assistance and reporting. There is a weak positive correlation between learning environment and identification, assessment and placement practices, while assistance has a significant correlation along learning environment, and reporting is significantly correlated along teacher’s performance and feedback and career awareness and opportunities. The identified issues and concerns affected how they cater to learners with special needs. A guidebook is therefore proposed to address the instructional leadership practices and inclusive education practices of the school heads in public elementary and secondary schools in the Division of Camarines Norte.

A qualitative study which aims to explore the factors influencing the delivery of both theory and practice of contraception and sexual health on pre-registration midwifery programmes in England

BackgroundPregnancy offers an opportunity to provide equitable access to contraception information and provision, and professional bodies advocate provision of contraception in the immediate postpartum period. This study examines the contribution...

Tertiary Care Center Trends in Colonic Stent Placement over the Past Decade.

Colonic endoluminal stent placement is a commonly utilized and effective endoscopic approach for the management of malignant large bowel obstruction and is an emerging approach for the management of some benign etiologies of large bowel obstruction. However, recent studies evaluating the evolution of clinical scenarios and patient populations for which stenting is performed in real-world practice are lacking. We assessed colonic stent utilization patterns in a tertiary care academic medical center over the past 10 years. We analyzed the demographics and patient and procedure characteristics of the initial (first half of study period) and latter (second half of the study period) procedures to assess trends over time using standard descriptive statistics. Our analysis was notable due to its provision of some novel insights. The frequency of colonic stent placement procedures increased significantly over time by comparison of the procedure volume for the initial 5-year interval (22 colonic stent procedures) relative to the latter 5-year interval (49 colonic stent procedures) (p = 0.03). The median age of patients who underwent colonic stent placement was significantly lower in the latter 5 years, compared with the initial 5 years of the study period (mean of 81.41 vs. 58.73 years, respectively, p < 0.001). The increased diversity of indications for colonic stent placement was also noted over time. Our data highlight the evolution of colonic stent placement in tertiary care practice over time and are notable for some interesting trends, including the increased utilization of colonic stent placement over time, the broadening of indications for colonic stent placement to include benign indications, and lower patient age at the time of colonic stent placement over time. These findings will help inform the clinical practice of colonic stent placement and provide a foundation to guide future research on the topic.

Feedback practices in clinical placement: how students come to understand how they are progressing

Health clinicians are required to make use of feedback to form effective judgements and deliver efficacious health care. In health education, clinical placements provide an opportunity for students to translate knowledge to practise and develop expertise. During placements students are expected to engage with and act on feedback in order to improve and demonstrate competence. Increasingly, in the assessment literature, students’ ability to judge the quality of their own performance (known as evaluative judgement) is considered key to placement success. Despite this, there is limited empirical research examining student feedback practices and their influence on evaluative judgement in the placement environment. This study sought to examine feedback practices in clinical placement and their contribution to the development of evaluative judgement. Three participant groups, occupational therapy students, placement supervisors, and university placement support staff took part in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using document and thematic analyses. Findings suggest students use a range of active feedback practices during placement, seeking feedback from multiple sources in different forms. Feedback practices appear pivotal in developing evaluative judgement but this often requires patching together of disparate, complex and competing information. Placement supervisors need to scaffold feedback so that students can develop evaluative judgement.

‘I do not know if I will have the energy to come to placement tomorrow’: Fast-Tracking Racially Minoritised Students to Failure in Social Work Education

Abstract We build upon previous work that explored the evidence base of ‘failure to fail’ on practice placements across professions. We found a lack of convincing evidence of ‘fail to fail’ within assessed practice learning placements and could not ascertain the extent of this issue. The literature was stronger about why it ‘might’ or ‘could’ be difficult to fail students on placement. We concluded that if there was a reluctance to fail students, that hesitancy was not shown when failing racially minoritised students. Using critical race theory, we noted instead, fast tacking to failure. Data were re-examined from two previous studies that focused on the experiences of Black African social work students in England. We identified two ways in which practice educators operationalised fast tracking to failure. Firstly, the speed at which negative judgments were made about students’ abilities, and related to this, asking personal and insensitive questions, and secondly, the speed of decision about placement failure. We argue that the debate needs to move away from fail to fail and instead, focus on who is being fast tracked to failure, and how racism and other discrimination is addressed forcefully in social work policy, practice and education.

Teaching the art of compassionate inquiry: involving survivors from 9/11 in social work education

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from pedagogic research evaluating the impact of the involvement of survivors from the World Trade Center attacks in New York City in 2001 in trauma-specific social work education. A pedagogic approach to mental health education is discussed which aims to prepare students to develop trauma-informed assessment and intervention skills concurrent with their encounters with trauma survivors in field practice placements. The small-scale research involved surveying students’ evaluations at a university in New York, following exposure to first-hand accounts of survivors’ experiences. Across the three areas—confidence in knowledge of trauma, impact on learning, and preparation for field practice—the evaluation findings indicate that the students’ knowledge, gained from the involvement of 9/11 survivors, improved over time. This paper presents the background to this project, preparations involved, and findings from research evaluations with the students. The findings suggest that the involvement of those with direct and lived trauma experience in classroom teaching, whilst challenging, can yield positive impacts for students. The 9/11 survivors poignantly shared with students that their lives were changed forever in the aftermath of these events. The findings have potential global educational impact and resonance.

Rupture as generative of professional agency: narratives from student teachers on placement during school closures

ABSTRACT Existing ways of knowing how to prepare people to become teachers were insufficient when COVID-19 closed schools, and some enduring hierarchies in teacher preparation were unsettled. This re-positioned qualified and student teachers as equally inexperienced in the circumstances. We contribute to post-COVID-19 educational research by considering the impact on student teachers through the historical socio-cultural lenses of phylogenesis (societal), ontogenesis (cultural) and microgenesis (individual). Our small qualitative study conducted interviews with four student teachers from undergraduate and postgraduate programmes whose practical placements, in a range of geographical contexts, were disrupted by school closures. Thematic analysis of student teachers’ narratives during school closures identified how disrupted hierarchies became generative spaces for the development of student teacher professional agency. Though the initial ruptures of social activity have passed, successive global (financial, environmental, political) and personal crises characterise the current era, with implications for teacher education about developing student teachers’ professional agency to cope with ongoing types of disruption in professional practice.

Bayesian optimization for battery electric vehicle charging station placement by agent-based demand simulation

The optimal placement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) is critical for meeting the charging demand of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). However, the questions of how to coordinate the stochastic charging demand and placement of charging infrastructure in an economically effective way and how to solve such a problem on a large real-world scale remain unanswered. This study addresses these questions by developing an agent-based charging station placement model (ACPM) that incorporates demand uncertainty by simulating the behaviors of BEV users. A solution algorithm based on random embedding Bayesian optimization (REMBO) is proposed and shown to significantly improve computational efficiency and solve the ACPM on a large real-world scale. The model and algorithm are applied to a case study of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In the study, the algorithm finds an optimal placement using only 2% of the runtime of existing benchmark methods. This enables the use of the algorithm on a more complex, real-world scale. Results from the case study indicate that the optimal placement of EVCI uses level-2 and direct-current fast charging (DCFC) roughly equally and distributes these relatively evenly throughout the region. This optimal EVCI placement has significant economic benefits because it can improve the expected net present value (NPV) by 50% to 100% relative to common benchmark charging placement practices, such as placing the EVCI uniform randomly or weighted by the number of parked vehicles. Finally, a sensitivity analysis demonstrates that factors such as the size of the BEV market, charging preferences, and charging price are shown to have significant impacts on the optimal placement and profitability of an EVCI project.

Exploring the concepts of consumer feedback systems for occupational therapy student learning during practice placements: A scoping review.

Consumer contribution to occupational therapy student learning is mandated for Australian educational programs. However, there is limited research about how consumers contribute to student learning during practice placements. A scoping review was completed to explore the concepts of existing feedback systems for consumers to authentically contribute to student learning during practice placements. Five databases were searched for all articles up to and including July 2023. All publications were included if they described and investigated authentic contribution to student learning during a practice placement experience. Data from the results and discussion sections of the papers were transformed into qualitative data and thematically analysed to develop a conceptual understanding of consumer feedback systems. Forty-six papers met the eligibility criteria. Most articles originated from Medicine (30%) and Nursing (45%) education. Feedback systems were primarily designed to critique student communication and professional behaviours using a variety of standardised and non-standardised methods. Five interconnected themes were created that addressed the concepts of consumer feedback systems. The themes were (1) creating value specific for each stakeholder is essential, (2) preparation is required and nuanced; (3) consumers do engage and provide critical feedback when the system is supportive of all stakeholders; (4) gathering approaches need to be responsive to the diversity of practice and learning; (5) processing feedback with a trusted mentor is critical for learning. Consumers, academics, practice educators, and students recognised that consumers have an important role in contributing to student learning during practice placements. Future consumer feedback systems need to be co-produced to create an optimal mode for consumers to authentically contribute to student learning constructively and safely. A consumer consultant was a member of the advisory panel for the larger research project that this review is part of and provided advice to the research team at all stages of the project. In Australia, occupational therapy training programs require input from consumers to help students learn. However, there is not much research on how consumers help occupational therapy students during their practical training. We did a review to see how existing feedback systems let consumers genuinely help students during their training. We searched five databases for research up to July 2023. We included research that talked about how consumers help all health students learn during practical training. We found 46 articles, mostly from Medicine and Nursing education. We analysed them to understand how consumer feedback systems work and found five main themes: (1) making sure everyone involved gets value out of it, (2) being prepared is important, (3) consumers give useful feedback when the system supports everyone involved, (4) different approaches are needed because practices and learning vary, and (5) discussing feedback with other people helps students learn. Current feedback systems mostly focused on how students communicate and behave professionally. Consumers, educators, and students all agree that consumers play a vital role in helping students learn during practical training. In the future, we need to work together to make feedback systems that let consumers help students in the best way possible, making sure it is constructive and safe for everyone.

The impact of simulation-based learning on the knowledge, attitude and performance of physiotherapy students on practice placement

BackgroundPractice placement is a crucial part of pre-registration physiotherapy education worldwide. However, educators face challenges in finding practice sites for students to undertake placement. The use of simulation-based (SBL) learning has the potential to replace some traditional placement, thereby increasing placement capacity, but the benefits have not been fully explored. This study aimed to assess the impact of SBL placement on students’ knowledge, attitude, and performance during practice placements with external providers.MethodsThis study utilised an exploratory qualitative research design using a semi-structured interview to collect data from Year 2 students of a 2-year MSc pre-registration physiotherapy programme in the UK. To be eligible to be included in the study, students must have participated in the 4-week simulation placement and have completed all their practice placements with external providers. All the interviews were conducted virtually in a 1:1 setting and recorded. The interviews lasted an average of 45 min. An inductive thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s approach was utilised in this study.ResultsTwelve students consented to participate in this study. The 56 codes generated from the data were categorised into 5 themes; [1] Working together, [2] Working with Service Users, [3] Professionalism, [4] Profession-specific practical skills and [5] Generic practical skills. Participants unanimously expressed a positive view on working in groups, and they believe that engaging with service users who acted as patients enhanced the authenticity of the simulation placement. Subjective and objective assessments were considered important profession-specific skills gained during the simulation. Despite the benefits derived from the simulation placement, some participants felt that the learning experience would have been enriched by periodically changing the groups they were working in and having the opportunity for more 1:1 feedback throughout the four weeks.ConclusionsSBL has the potential to be a valuable educational experience for physiotherapy students. It may assist in better preparing students for successful integration into the dynamic healthcare environment. To enhance and improve the authenticity of this type of placementour recommendations include recruiting more service users, incorporating and encouraging more intervention-based elements, and increasing the practice educators’ and students’ contact time.

Effect of tillage and precision nutrient placement on growth and productivity of maize (Zea mays)

The experiment was conducted at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during rainy season of 2022 to asses the effect of tillage and precise nutrient placement on maize (Zea mays L.) growth. Employing a split-plot design with 3-tillage methods in main plots, viz. T1 , (conventional tillage); T2 , (once rotavator as minimum tillage) and T3 , (zero tillage) and 4, precision nutrient application options N1 , 50% RDF as point placement; N2 , 75% RDF as band placement; N3, 100% RDF as band placement and N4, 100% RDF as broadcasting were tested in subplots. Results indicated that tillage and precision nutrient placement practices improved the plant height and LAI of maize. Minimum tillage recorded significantly higher crop growth indices, viz. CGR (1.92 g/m2/day), RGR (26.80 g/g/day) and dry matter accumulation (204.58 g/plant) over other tillage practices at 60 to 90 Days after sowing (DAS). Root attributes also improved under minimum tillage. The grain yield was significantly higher with minimum tillage (6.22 t/ha) over other tillage practices. Among the precision nutrient application options, 100% RDF as band placement recorded significantly higher grain yield (6.20 t/ha) over N2 and N4 but remained statistically at par with 50% RDF point placement (6.06 t/ha). The findings suggested that adopting minimum tillage and precise nutrient point placement could significantly enhance maize growth and yield in kharif seasons, offering 50% reduction in fertilizer consumption.

An open door to the job market? Music therapy students’ reflections on practice placement in Norway

This study explores the transition between learning at university and learning in a work context through practice placement. It was conducted at the University of Bergen (UiB), which offers a five-year programme in music therapy. Practice placement is integrated at all levels of the programme, starting with observation of music therapy, to a placement where students work more autonomously. The aim of this study was to learn from the experiences of students participating in the programme, as their insights are crucial for informing the programme’s content. Our question was: How do students from the UiB five-year integrated music therapy programme reflect on their internship experiences, and how can we understand their reflections from a work-based learning perspective? To investigate this, we conducted two focus groups, each with five students. Following a thematic analysis of the data, three main themes and six sub-themes were developed: 1. Developing an identity as a music therapist (1.1. Gaining a professional identity, 1.2. Finding a voice in interdisciplinary meetings); 2. An open door to the job market (2.1. Learning from experience, 2.2. Developing new networks); and 3. Challenges with the music therapy practice placement (3.1. Feeling side-lined, 3.2. Lack of a broader teaching model). The themes, grounded in the empirical findings, are discussed from a sociocultural perspective, drawing on concepts such as apprenticeship learning, community of practice, and weak ties. This article concludes with implications for practice and suggestions for further research.

From Virtual to Physical

Since the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century, teachers of all levels of education have been experiencing turbulent times. Beginner teachers as well as experienced ones have been forced to rethink their skillset to reflect the changes not only in opportunities provided by the development of technology and globalisation but also the sudden, unexpected consequences of the global pandemic. The governmental decision to close all educational institutions in the Czech Republic because of the COVID-19 pandemic and to move the teaching and learning process into an online environment had an impact on university initial teacher education for future teachers of English, among others. Everyone had to cope with the challenges the situation brought about; educators had to re-evaluate their approach to initial teacher education so that their students would feel better prepared for the challenges of the crisis. Teacher educators, among others, have embraced the changing environment and have been actively searching for ways to best support students in their preparation for the teaching profession. The aim of this paper is to present and discuss the results of research conducted at the Department of English and American Studies at a regional Czech university in response to the consequences of the pandemic. The aim of the small-scale study was to explore student teachers’ perceptions of whether and how their microteaching sessions, conducted online because of the pandemic restrictions, prepared them for their face-to-face placement practice teaching the following semester. The context, therefore, was heavily influenced by the circumstances of the global pandemic. The theoretical framework of the initial English language teacher education programme, and of this paper, is based on the models of teacher professionalism (Spilková, 2019), the reflective practitioner (Černá, Píšová, &amp; Vlčková, 2017), and the realistic approach (Korthagen et al., 2001). In the study, the data from reflection sessions, two focus group discussions, and a questionnaire were collected, analysed, and evaluated. The participants in the study were second-year bachelor students of the English for Education programme. The results of the research indicate that the students did not see the aims and content of the selected study programme as being affected by changes of external conditions; however, the processes of their professional learning were perceived as having been affected. These outcomes are in alignment with the research of Yochanna and Levy (2022) into the effective implementation of microteaching practice in teacher preparation. The implications of this study, in terms of both education and research, suggest that initial teacher education for future teachers of English needs to address the challenge of enabling the students to get ready for their profession regardless of whether they are teaching online or face-to-face classes. Initial teacher education should aim to prepare future teachers to expect the unexpected, which is a theme to be explored in further research.

442 Prophylactic Peri-Nephric Drain Placement in Renal Transplant Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Aim Usage of prophylactic perinephric drains is variable in renal transplantation, drains are associated with risks, and there is a lack of consensus as to the relative benefit of placing a drain intraoperatively in this patient cohort. This meta-analysis assessed whether prophylactic perinephric drainage reduced the need for postoperative intervention to manage collections. Method This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis and was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021255795). A literature search was carried out in June 2023, and titles and s was screened against our pre-defined criteria. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Summary statistics for outcomes of interest underwent meta-analyses to a confidence interval (CI) of 95% and are presented as Forest Plots for Odds Ratio (OR). Results Literature search revealed 1540 unique titles and s across all four databases. Of these, 4 retrospective cohort studies were selected. Meta-analysis of 3 studies showed no evidence of a significant reduction in reintervention rate with drain placement, OR=0.59 (95%CI: 0.16-2.23, p=0.44). Meta-analysis did not show a significant reduction in perinephric collections with drainage OR=0.55 (95%CI: 0.13-2.37, p=0.42). Finally, there is not good evidence that drain placement reduces superficial wound complications or improves 12-month graft survival. Conclusions Given the lack of current evidence basis supporting the practice of prophylactic perinephric drain placement in renal transplantation, we advocate for a drain-free strategy in this patient cohort. Well-designed, prospective studies to assess the risks and benefits of intraoperative drain placement in these patients is needed.

Quantitative Reasoning: What’s Math Got To Do With It?

This keynote address explores the history and role of college math requirements with a focus on ensuring math courses serve to expand students’ horizons, rather than serve as gatekeepers. It discusses the advent of general education math courses, which brought more students into math departments, which ultimately contributed to broadening the scope of the courses to align with more students’ interests and majors, since their purpose was to advance quantitative reasoning, not mathematics skill per se. It also examines several practices to address calculus’ gatekeeping role: revising placement practices and prerequisites, redesigning courses, and updating instruction and assessment practices. Lastly, it considers the role of college admission requirements in perpetuating an overemphasis on calculus coursetaking.