Preparing for Placement

How do I get started?

Isn't this always the hard part? You would like to supervise a student but work involved in the organisation of it just seems too much! Student supervision in Queensland is generally organised within a concept of clinical blocks or placements. When you agree to have a student you will be agreeing to supervise them for a full placement.

To help meet the needs of busy and dynamic workforce placements can be organised under a number of frameworks. Placements can be full time or part time, traditional, project based, collaborative, role emerging or inter-agency. There are so many options.

Before you start, think about the needs, demands and potential changes in your workplace, look at the placement options and determine how you will structure your placement. Maybe you could share a student with a like minded colleague?

This page identifies key issues in getting started and provides links to useful fact sheets. Just follow the links and you will be ready to Go! Go! Go!

Structuring a Placement

With the placement framework in mind we have provided some examples of an orientation process that may help you develop a programme for your student- follow the above link. It can also be useful for students to receive information about your service and with any pre reading you think might reinforce their theoretical knowledge. 

Think about what you would expect a student to achieve week by week. Providing a structured guide that clearly articulates expectations or placement learning objectives can be helpful for the student but also provide you with structuring learning experiences in a graded way. Follow the link to the right to discover some of the basic steps to create a student friendly clinical education environment.

Placement Planning Videos

Placement Planning & Dealing With Challenges

We all know that planning is a vital part of the success of practice placements. Chrisdell from the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) reveals how they plan for their student placements, and provides tips for dealing with challenges as they arise.

Preparing and Planning for Collaborative Placements

Melanie Roberts is an OT Lecturer at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. Here, she provides an overview of the planning and preparing process involved in Griffith University's OT collaborative placements.