Caroline Hills

Generation Y Health Professional Students’ Preferred Teaching and Learning Approaches: A Systematic Review

Generation Y or Millennials are descriptors for those born between 1982 and 2000. This cohort has grown up in the digital age and is purported to have different learning preferences from previous generations. Students are important stakeholders in identifying their preferred teaching and learning approaches in health professional programs. This study aimed to identify, appraise, and synthesize the best available evidence regarding the teaching and learning preferences of Generation Y health professional students. The review considered any objectively measured or self-reported outcomes of teaching and learning reported from Generation Y health professional student perspectives. In accordance with a previously published Joanna Briggs Institute Protocol, a three-step search strategy was completed. Two research articles (nursing and dental hygiene students) and three dissertations (nursing) were critically appraised. All studies were crosssectional descriptive studies. A range of pedagogical approaches was reported, including lecture, group work, and teaching clinical skills. Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute levels of evidence, reviewers deemed the evidence as Level 3. Some generational differences were reported, but these were inconsistent across the studies reviewed. There is, therefore, insufficient evidence to provide specific recommendations for the preferred educational approaches of health professional students and further research is warranted.

Tobacco Use among Occupational Therapy Students

One study of Danish therapists reported that none of its sampled group were daily smokers and over half (53%) had never smoked (Willaing et al 2003). In contrast, another Danish study found that 14% of a combined group of physical and occupational therapists were daily smokers (Willaing and Ladelund 2004). Even fewer studies have investigated smoking rates among occupational therapy students. Baldwin et al (2006) in the United States (US) documented a 20% smoking rate over a 12-month period amongst a mixed group of allied health students. Perhaps the only published study directly comparable to the current study is from the US and documented that 34% of its occupational therapy students reported having smoked tobacco in the past year (Baldwin et al 2008). Although other health care professionals may continue to smoke (Smith and Leggat 2011), it appears that tobacco use has all but disappeared in the Australian occupational therapy profession. If occupational therapy students have heeded the health promotion advice about smoking, they may now be in a powerful position to advise others on the dangers of tobacco use.

Exploring academic staff perceptions and experiences in the development and delivery of an undergraduate inter-professional pilot simulation.

Publication Information Summerville, Sarah , Casey, Dympna , McCarthy, Bernard , Hills, Caroline , Carroll, Clare , Costello, Maria , Hunter, Andrew, Burke, Eimear, Kennedy, Kieran, Power, Martin, Byrne, Dara, Donlon, Kate, Hanley, Marion, Ní Chianáin, Linda (2017). Exploring academic staff perceptions and experiences in the development and delivery of an undergraduate inter-professional pilot simulation. Paper presented at the 11th Annual Simulation in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Conference, Simulation Technologies and Education Strategies, Human Patient Simulation Network (HPSN), Nottingham, United Kingdom, 21 -22 June.

The Future in Their Hands: The Perceptions of Practice Educators on the Strengths and Challenges of “Generation Y” Occupational Therapy Students

Those born between 1982 and 2002 are termed “Generation Y”. This younger generation is thought to have unique characteristics, due to the societal and technological influences that they experienced in their formative years. In occupational therapy, this group has been found to have unique attributes that have impacted on practice education. This study replicated an earlier study to affirm or refute the existence of the Generation Y student in occupational therapy from practice educator perspectives. An Australian university previously developed and administered the survey tool. In this current study, the electronic survey was sent to all practice educators listed on the database of another Australian university. Of the 54 respondents, most considered that there is a Generation Y student. Using summative content analysis, categories were generated, which were collapsed into four main themes: (a) self-assured, go getters that are team players and easily bored; (b) demanding and motivated learners; (c) technologically savvy; and (d) no difference. Practice educators viewed Generation Y students as possessing unique attributes that may contribute significantly to the profession but that also present challenges in practice education. Acknowledgment of generational differences and the value of mentorship from older generations are indicated to maximize this generation’s potential.

Increasing practice after stroke to optimise upper limb rehabilitation: a phase II randomised trial

Background: CT brain (CTB), CT perfusion (CTP) and CT angiography (CTA) of brain and neck are critical tools for acute stroke assessment. Post processing (PP) for CTP is traditionally time consuming. This study evaluated the impact PP tools had on workups times of CTP by utilising new semi-automated algorithms and advanced image reconstruction. Methods: Acute stroke assessment includes CTB, CTP and CTA of the brain and neck with dedicated PP of the CTP. The sample included 90 consecutive exams on patients that presented to the emergency department for assessment of acute stroke. The initial 45 exams used traditional PP workflow whilst the latter 45 exams utilised the new PP tools. All CTP workups included generation of cerebral blood volume, cerebral blood flow, mean transit time and time to peak maps. Data mining from the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) enabled quantification of CTP workup times by recording the time between scan end and last CTP PP image arriving at PACS for each exam. Comparative analysis was made between both methods of PP for the CTP workup time. Results: Average traditional CTP PP workup time = 24.98 minutes Average CTP PP workup time using the new PP tools = 14 minutes. Average total PP time for CTP workup improved by 10.98 minutes (44%). Conclusion: CTP images using the new PP tools were ready for review 44% faster than traditional PP methods. New PP tools have potential for expediting patient management decisions.