Impact of an international workplace learning placement on personal and professional development

Abstract

Background/aim: Workplace learning (WPL) placements are a mandatory part of occupational therapy courses. There is some evidence that suggests WPL placements in international settings are beneficial for students' learning, and personal and professional development. The aim of this study was to explore the impact an international WPL placement in Vietnam had on the perceived personal and professional development of a group of Australian occupational therapy graduates.

Methods: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to explore the perceptions of how participation in the Charles Sturt University School of Community Health's Vietnam placement influenced the personal and professional development of occupational therapy graduates. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine graduates who participated in the Vietnam placement when they were final year occupational therapy students. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and individually analysed to identify key themes.

Findings: Two major themes emerged from the analysis: becoming resourceful, resilient and confident, and becoming respectful of difference. The participants indicated that participation in the Vietnam placement had a positive impact on their personal and professional development.

Conclusion: Participants indicated that the Vietnam placement enabled them to develop their resourcefulness, resilience, reasoning skills, cultural competence, confidence and independence, beyond what they felt would have achieved on a domestic placement. For these reason these participants found the placement a beneficial and worthwhile experience.

Keywords: allied health education; cultural competence; international fieldwork; personal development; professional development.