Course helps healthcare professionals become workplace teachers

13 Aug 2024

The University recently staged a special event to celebrate the achievements of the second cohort of health professionals to receive the Post Graduate Certificate in Practice Education. 

The year-long, online course, introduced in 2022, is aimed at nurses, midwives, social workers and allied health professions (AHPs)* who wish to become qualified practice educators. 

All students studying Nursing, Physiotherapy, Nutrition and Dietetics, Social Work and Occupational Therapy at the University of Winchester are sent on a work placement where they are supervised by a practice educator. 

The programme is delivered flexibly, with significant opportunities for application, on-the-job learning and is applicable to professionals working across a range of health, social work and education settings. 

The latest Practice Education Celebration event, held at the University’s West Downs Centre, featured academic poster presentations of this cohort’s course projects. 

Pictured above: Zoe Oram (poster runner up), Josephine Morris (Senior Lecturer Physiotherapy UoW), Hannah Brown (poster runner up) and Vanessa Mason (poster prize winner). 

There was a competition for the best poster with first prize going to Vanessa Mason from Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) whose submission was entitled Can Practice Education Teams Become Placement Opportunities for Healthcare Students? 

Vanessa said: “Our cohort’s hard work and enthusiasm shone brightly at the University celebration event, which was the perfect end to a content filled course. I feel empowered and equipped with the tools to lead on and inspire sustainable change in practice education, which is the best area to work!” 

The runners-up, both from University Hospitals Southampton, were Hannah Brown, whose entry was entitled Promoting Belongingness in Internationally Educated Nurses, and Zoe Oram with her poster, Developing Inclusive AHP Supervision to Enliven Belonging. 

Zoe said: “This was a fantastic event showcasing everyone’s hard work through their project posters. It was a real honour to win a prize and receive formal recognition for the work completed.  

“The course has advanced my educational knowledge and inspired me to change practice for all of our workplace learners to ensure that we are providing a safe, inclusive and contemporary learning environment.” 

Hannah said: "This course has supported and inspired us as educators to create environments where everyone is valued and respected, where learning can make a real and lasting difference to the teams and service users we work with. The event was a wonderful way to present and celebrate our hard work, creativity and innovation.” 

Before the poster viewing and networking the gathering of around 50 were welcomed by Professor Sarah Greer, Vice-Chancellor of the University, and then heard short talks from Susanna Preedy - Deputy Director of Allied Health Professionals at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Juliet Borwell - Clinical Education & Practice Learning Senior Specialist, Workforce, Training and Education Directorate, NHSE South East, Sue Taplin - Lecturer in Social Work, University of Winchester, and an alumna Clementina Phiri – a Learning Environment Facilitator with HHFT. 

 * The 14 Allied Health Professions are:  art therapists, drama therapists, music therapists, podiatrists, dietitians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, osteopaths, paramedics, physiotherapists, prosthetists and orthotists, radiographers, speech and language therapists. 

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