Amanda Garrow & Samantha Shann PPDF Working group

Occupational therapy Physiotherapy Midwifery Operating Department Practitioners Nursing A newly validated (2007) inter-professional suite of programmes at Northumbria University was introduced to the following pre- registration students; Integral to these programmes was the development of the Personal and Professional Development File (PPDF) by an inter-professional working group consisting of academic and practice staff

Aims of the PPDF To encourage students to become autonomous life-long learners Enable students to link theoretical and practical learning and provide a start towards continuing professional development (CPD) Kenworthy & Redfern (1998)

Initial feedback from academic and practice staff: Helps develop student’s reflective skills Raised student awareness of the need for evidence of learning Acknowledge value of timetabled sessions Students felt more prepared for placement following pre-placement tutorial Consistency of student experience across all programmes

Aims of Evaluation: To examine the perceptions of pre-registration healthcare students on their experience of using the PPDF to support their personal and professional development during the first year of their programme. To identify how the process of PPDF development influences the student’s learning.

Aims: 5 individual interviews with each discipline 5 group interviews with each discipline 1 multi-professional interview

Interviews One O.T. student One Midwifery student One nursing group (n=3) One O.T. group (n=4) One O.D.P group (n=4)

Themes What is evidence? Preparation Value & Level of Engagement

What is evidence? Best evidence (n= ): “ What is your best evidence?” (R04) Reflection: “ I find it easier to reflect when you don’t actually think about reflecting” (R06)

Preparation For Students: “the seminars that we’ve had on the PPDF have been very useful” (R05) “I don’t really think (the seminars) are beneficial” (R06) “we’ve never been told what the purpose of the PPDF is” (R06, 1&2)

Preparation For Guidance Tutors: “we’ve been learning to use it at the same time as them” (R04) “No-one really knew what we were doing, so it was like the blind leading the blind” (R06)

Preparation For Mentors “maybe haven’t got a full understanding of how they can use it as well” (R04) “I don’t think they know about the PPDF… it never gets mentioned” (R08, 1&2)

Value & Level of Engagement For Students “used as a storage file”“back burner” “no-one is checking it, you just don’t know if you are doing it right or wrong” (R06, 1&3) “I think that the fact you knew your GT wanted to see it… would be enough for me to be doing a bit more work” (R07)

Value & Level of Engagement For Staff “we had lecturers saying; we don’t get the purpose of it either” (R06, 2) “(the mentor says…) well what am I looking at?” (R04) “a lot of people don’t see the PPDF as important” (R05)

Student Needs More guidance Exercises on reflection Small group work to share best practice People to look at it! Examples of good CPD files

WE GOT IT RIGHT! “We are actually doing our PPDF without realising we’re doing it” (R08,3)

Action Plan Staff development Increase awareness of practitioners as mentors but also interviewers. Amend post-placement tutorial form Consider introducing element of assessment linked to PPDF.

Final words… “I think the file would be brilliant if we knew what to do with it” (R06,2)