A Grounded Theory of Occupational Therapy Practice Learning to Inform Simulation-Based Education

Introduction Simulation has been gathering momentum as a healthcare pedagogy in recent years, with increased discussion regarding its potential to replace practice learning hours expedited by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, simulation within occupational therapy remains inconsistent (Grant et al., 2021) with minimal research supporting its effectiveness as a placement replacement. This thesis addresses this research gap by recognising that in order to replace placement learning with simulation, it is first necessary to understand what it is that students are learning during their placement experiences.
Method Grounded theory methodology was used to develop a theory of practice learning that explains how and what occupational therapy students learn during their first practice placement at one university in the United Kingdom. 11 Pre-registration students and three Practice Educators participated in individual interviews following their first placement which were analysed using constant comparison methods.
Findings Learning during the first placement was found to occur within four distinct categories: learning about oneself as an occupational therapist, learning about the occupational therapy profession, learning about occupational therapy practices and learning about users of occupational therapy services. The inter-dependent relationships between each of these categories were further abstracted to develop the theory of occupational therapy practice learning that is characterised by the concept that a student’s availability for learning is impacted by the four categories.
Conclusion Student learning on placement takes place within four categories of learning, each of which must be considered when constructing simulations intended to replace placement. The importance of learning about oneself as an occupational therapist during the first placement and the impact of this category on students’ availability for learning suggests that simulation is unsuitable for a first placement replacement but may be useful in preparing students for practice learning.