An investigation of health and social care students' and recent graduates' clinical placement and professional practice experiences and coping strategies during the Wave 1 COVID-19 pandemic period.

Douglas, Flora; Kennedy, Catriona; Torrance, Nicola; Grant, Aileen; Adams, Nick; Butler-Warke, Alice; Kydd, Angela; Cunningham, Scott

Abstract

During the first COVID-19 pandemic wave in 2020, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, allied health and social work professional students from Robert Gordon University (RGU) were encouraged to undertake extended, paid clinical placements, or enter professional practice earlier than planned. This unparalleled policy intervention was introduced to address concerns that the NHS would be overwhelmed by the ongoing pandemic. Other policy measures implemented at that time included closing down or scaling back routine health and social care, and rapid redeployment of health and social care staff to areas considered business critical e.g. intensive care. Therefore, students entered a health and social care system in a state of significant flux, exposing those individuals to increased risk of unintentional, psychosocial harm. This mixed methods study sought: (1) to investigate the lived experiences and coping strategies of RGU health care and social work students during the Wave 1 COVID-19 pandemic period; and (2) to explore the role and acceptability of online group technologies and other forms of support, which were helpful in building individual resilience and supporting health and wellbeing during this time.

Citation

DOUGLAS, F., KENNEDY, C., TORRANCE, N., GRANT, A., ADAMS, N., BUTLER-WARKE, A., KYDD, A. and CUNNINGHAM, S. 2020. An investigation of health and social care students' and recent graduates' clinical placement and professional practice experiences and coping strategies during the Wave 1 COVID-19 pandemic period. Edinburgh: Chief Scientist Office [online]. Available from: https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/COVrgu2002rpb.pdf

• Report Type: Project Report
• Online Publication Date: Nov 30, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 30, 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 29, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 24, 2022
• Publisher: Chief Scientist Office (CSO)
• Keywords: Nursing students; Allied health students; Pharmacy students; Clinical placements; COVID-19
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1764455
• Publisher URL: https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/COVrgu2002rpb.pdf
• Related Public URLs: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1764468 (Supplementary Report)
• Additional Information: See also the supplementary report for further information: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1764468