TCD Practice Education Team
The Practice Education Team in the Discipline of Occupational Therapy in Trinity is composed of the Practice Education Coordinator (PEC), the Regional Placement Facilitator (RPF), Practice Tutors (PT), Practice Educators (PE) and students. Please see below for the contact details of the PEC, RPF and PTs.
Contact Details of assigned members of the Practice Education Team
Name |
Title |
Location |
Contact |
Catherine Healy |
Acting Practice Education Coordinator |
Trinity College Dublin |
|
Lorna O'Shea |
Regional Placement Facilitator |
Trinity College Dublin |
rowelo@tcd.ie |
| Claire Gleeson | Practice Education Co-ordinator |
Trinity College Dublin |
|
Gillian McHugh |
Practice Tutor |
Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services |
|
Molly Fallon |
Practice Tutor |
Daughters of Charity Disability Support Service |
|
Emma Shorthall |
Practice Tutor |
National Rehabilitation Hospital |
|
Dr Tina McGrath |
Practice Tutor |
HSE Dublin North City Mental Health Service |
|
Maureen Roberts |
Practice Tutor |
Royal Hospital Donnybrook |
|
Sinead O’Connor |
Practice Tutor |
St. James’s Hospital |
Definition of Roles in the Practice Education Team
The Practice Education Coordinator (PEC)
The Practice Education Coordinator (PEC) is responsible for the overall co-ordination of the placements for the students. This role includes: quality assurance in clinical education; development of new placements; developing, co-coordinating and teaching on the Preparation for Practice Education Modules; supporting students and practice educators in clinical sites; facilitating the education of practice educators; coordinating and supporting practice tutors and the Regional Placement Facilitator and research. The PEC is responsible for the operational management and strategic developments of practice education in the program.
The Regional Placement Facilitator (RPF)
The Regional Placement Facilitator (RPF) is funded by the HSE and based in the university. This senior grade post offers a supporting role to students and practice educators as part of the university practice education team across a number of clinical sites. The RPF actively seeks and develops clinical placement opportunities in liaison with key stakeholders in a range of environments not previously explored. The RPF is involved in Practice Educator training/ Preparation for Practice Education Modules. In collaboration with the PEC and Practice Tutors, the RPF strives towards excellence in Practice Education through active involvement in quality assurance initiatives.
Practice Tutors (PT)
Practice Tutors (PT) are funded by the HSE and are based in practice education (clinical) sites. This senior grade post supports students and practice educators (managers, seniors or staff grade clinical staff directly supervising students) as part of the university practice education team in the clinical site. Tutors are involved in hands-on teaching and supervision of individual or groups of students. The practice tutors actively seek and develop placement opportunities in liaison with key stakeholders.
Practice Educator (PE)
Practice Educator (PE) is used to describe the identified occupational therapy practitioner in the placement setting who facilitates the student learning face-to-face on a daily basis and generally has primary responsibility for the formative and/or the summative assessment of student competence. The Practice Educator is supported in this role by the other members of the Practice Education Team. The Practice Educator must confirm that he/she is a registered occupational therapist, with CORU, with a minimum of one year’s experience on the Trinity College Dublin Occupational Therapy Placement Offer Form (Appendix 19) which is submitted to the PEC/RPF. The Practice Educator does not have to be based on the same site as the student but is responsible for supervising and evaluating the student. Students with on-site supervisors in role emerging placements who are not Occupational Therapists will also have a Practice Educator allocated to them.
Practice Education Development Plan 2019-2021
In line with best practice, the Practice Education Team have developed a Development Plan which outlines the alignment between the Practice Education Team activities, CORU requirements and the Discipline of Occupational Therapy Learning Objectives and provides information on how the Practice Education Team will endeavour to provide quality practice education provision over the next two academic years 2019-2021.
The Practice Education Team have embarked on developing this in order to plan and deliver an enhanced practice education programme for all stakeholders: Students, placement providers and practice educators in clinical settings, and the university curriculum. This plan offers a roadmap for what the Practice Education Team hope to achieve over the coming two years, and how we plan to achieve it.
The image below outlines the four pillars of the Practice Education Development Plan.
Communication and Contact within the Practice Education Team
Throughout the Practice Education Placement (in advance of the start of the placement, during it and on cessation), Practice Educators and students are encouraged to contact the Practice Education Team if they have any queries, issues or require information. An open communication pathway is encouraged and the Practice Education Coordinator and/or the Regional Placement Facilitator can be contacted via mobile or email from Monday to Friday. The Practice Education Coordinator and/or the Regional Placement Facilitator will respond to queries within 24 hours. The contact details for both the Practice Education Coordinator and/or the Regional Placement Facilitator can be found at the beginning of this Handbook and at the end. The Practice Education Coordinator and/or the Regional Placement Facilitator provide contact with students and Practice Educators throughout the placement via email by sending in check-in and reminder emails (e.g. about resources to support the placement, reminder to complete half-way assessment form). These emails again encourage all stakeholders to contact the Practice Education Coordinator and/or the Regional Placement Facilitator if they have any queries. All of which are aimed at promoting and maximising ongoing liaison between placement sites and the college based PET.
There are also a number of other communication contacts during the practice education placement process. These include mid-way and post placement review and de-brief days for the students, half-way visits and/or phone-calls for both the Practice Educator and the students, and additional visits if required to support the Practice Educator and/or the students.
The figure below provides an overview of communication processes between the Practice Education Team.
