References
Developing communication skills in occupational therapy, and paramedic students
Abstract
Communication is considered to be a core skill for healthcare professionals. The teaching, learning and development of communication skills are discussed with a focus upon occupational therapy and paramedic practitioner students.
A mixed methods approach was taken to gather data; questionnaires were administered to evaluate the final year student opinions regarding how they are taught and learn about communication skills, and how well prepared they felt for practice. Programme Lead feedback was gained regarding student opinions and programme handbooks were analysed to further inform the research.
The majority of students prioritised listening skills as the most important communication skill required for practice and held the pre-course expectation to be taught communication skills required for practice. Difference in opinion was highlighted regarding how adequately taught and prepared students felt, with a proportion of OT students feeling inadequately taught communication skills.
Findings provide a clear indication of student opinions regarding how they are taught, learn about and are prepared for the communication skills required for practice; students value this training and would welcome more to be included in their programmes. The difference in learning experience is attributed to there being no specific module for communication skills on the OT programme.
Communication has long been considered crucial in healthcare and a vital skill for healthcare professionals (Buckman, 1992; Burnard, 1997; Crown Copyright, 2001; Smith and Pressman, 2010). Consequently, communication is regarded as one of the core competencies for healthcare students and professionals (Batalden et al, 2002; Verma et al, 2009).
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and opinions of students regarding how they are taught and learn about communication skills, with a specific focus on how prepared they felt for practice placements. Participating students were from two different healthcare programmes in the same faculty, namely, occupational therapy (OT) and paramedic practitioner (PP). The main reasons for this comparison included: 1) The opportunity to contribute to the limited, albeit growing research activity, in the field of paramedic education (Lowery and Stokes, 2005); 2) Both professions qualify to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK and must adhere to the same standards of conduct, performance and ethics (HPC, 2008); 3) The PP programme has a communication skills-specific module, unlike the OT programme; it is possible PP students have a heightened awareness of communication skills for practice.
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