ERGOBPRA1 Occupational Therapy Practice Placement, Part 1 Course description

Through systematic work and therapeutic use of activity, the occupational therapist contributes to the possibility of activity and participation. Practical training makes up one third of the study and is a very important part of the occupational therapy programme. During this first long practical training period, the individual student will gain experience from one practical training establishment, at the same time as the class as a whole will gain insight into various forms of occupational therapy practice, as the practical training places can be in all arenas where occupational therapists work.

The student must have been admitted to the study programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge 

The student is capable of 

• describing the position of occupational therapy within the practical training establishment's framework and organising in the Norwegian health and welfare system
• describing mapping, measures and evaluations based on an occupational therapy work process model
• explaining activity analysis as a part of an occupational therapy work process
• describing cases from practical training with the help of occupational therapy models/theories

Skills 

The student is capable of 

• planning and implementing therapeutic use of activity under supervision, and of reflecting clinically on this work
• using a tool to carry out and document a systematic activity analysis of users
• searching for and disseminating academic literature of relevance for issues at the practical training establishment
• systematically mapping the users’ activity history, resources and challenges in occupational participation
• carrying out lifesaving first aid

General competence

The student 

• is capable of adapting the way he/she communicates with users and other partners
• shows initiative and shows responsibility for own learning 
• is capable of finding and referring to legislation of relevance to occupational therapy practice
• is capable of identifying and reflecting on ethical issues in relation to people who are in a learning, coping or change process
• is respectful and complies with the professional ethical guidelines for occupational therapists

The practical training period takes place over ten weeks and starts with a week’s preparation as part of the programme. During a practical training week, the students spend three days at the practical training establishment and one day on teaching activities in the programme. The students will be assigned an occupational therapist as a supervisor at the practical training establishment and a contact lecturer at the university, and the students will normally follow the working hours of the practical training establishment. The preparations and sessions include skills training, case-based teaching, lectures, group seminars and workshops with digital story telling.

The following must be approved:

• completed course in first aid
• cooperation agreement with specification of the learning outcomes

An attendance requirement also applies, see ‘assessment of practical training’ in the programme description's main part for more information.

Assessment of placement. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, the cooperation agreement with specification of the learning outcomes and the formative assessment made of the student during the practical training period.

Students’ practical training can only be assessed if their attendance is sufficiently high (90%). See ‘assessment of practical training’ in the main part of the programme description for more information.

Not relevant.

Pass/fail

The midway and final assessments are made by the practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer at the university. The final decision on whether to award a pass or fail grade is made by the university.