Joanna Teece gives an update on practice-based learning in Scotland and encourages everyone to consider how they can help develop the workforce.
How did you celebrate Dietitians Week? This year the theme was ‘From classroom to clinic and beyond’. I was involved in a careers session for schools. Many of the young people asked questions related to pay, how you train and where you work as a dietitian. I left the call hopeful I may have nurtured one or two to consider a career choice within nutrition and dietetics.
I thought back to when I was a student. We had career interviews and questionnaires suggesting possible pathways. I was none the wiser and then I stumbled across a dietitian at a careers fair. I knew I wanted to work with people. I was studying science-based subjects and dietetics seemed to combine it all.
It led me to reflect: how do we grow our future generation for our dietetic workforce? How do we offer a range of opportunities for pre-registration training or practice-based learning? What can we learn and share across our four nations of the UK? How do we best support learners and practice educators?
I will always remember the mix of emotions I felt on placement. The challenge and excitement of putting theory into practice. How at times it was all-consuming with so much to remember, learn and understand. I can still picture some educators and their feedback today. The ones who listened, helped give you a sense of belonging, a sense of belief in yourself and ultimately confidence alongside competence. I was involved in developing a dietary resource and was so delighted when an educator sent me a copy a long time after I’d finished my placement.
Maya Angelou was an American poet and civil rights activist. Her quote possibly sums up my experience of practice-based learning and relationships with practice educators all those years ago: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Practice-based learning is defined in the BDA Curriculum Framework as: “The period(s) of study and activities undertaken by learners as a formal element of their dietetic pre registration training whilst in the practice-based learning environment. This allows learners to apply and practise their newly acquired knowledge and skills in a safe environment.”
The AHP Principles of Practice-based Learning were published in October 2023, co-badged by ten professional bodies, including the BDA. There are seven principles providing clear and consistent messaging. They offer a collective opportunity to shape and support the provision of practice-based learning for our future workforce.
It would be great to share how in Scotland we are working together to develop our future workforce.
Spotlight on Scotland
There are approximately 5.5 million people living in Scotland, around 8% of the UK population. The landscape is varied, from rugged coastlines to sparkling city lights. Scotland covers approximately one-third of the UK.
Health is a devolved power in Scotland. There are 14 regional health boards and eight national health boards. The national health boards support the regional boards by providing specialist and national services across the whole of Scotland.
There are three universities in Scotland where you can study dietetics. Together, the 14 AHPs are the third largest workforce in the NHS in Scotland. The dietetic workforce work across the lifespan within health and care, education, justice and government. They are a key part of the AHP workforce. I trained in England and worked for many years across various areas of dietetics. A decade or so ago I moved to Scotland. It was only meant to be for six months but that is another story.
NHS Education for Scotland
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is a national health board and an organisation that develops and delivers education and training for the health and care sector and other public bodies.
The NMAHP (nursing, midwifery and allied health professions) directorate at NES includes the AHP Practice Education team. The team supports several national programmes of work, including practice-based learning.
AHP practice-based learning consensus statements
Stakeholders in AHP practice-based learning have agreed upon the following four consensus statements, which outline the aims of AHP placement provision in Scotland.
Everyone
All AHPs have a responsibility to support practice-based learning regardless of their grade, occupational role, practice setting or specialism.
Anywhere
Practice-based learning can occur in any environment, setting or specialism.
All ways
A wide range of student supervision models can be used to deliver and support practice-based learning.
Anytime
Importance of robust infrastructure and availability of resources to support practice-based learning that is embedded in service plans and to meet the needs of everyone involved.
Alongside the AHP Principles of Practice-based Learning, the consensus statement supports ongoing work across Scotland. The aim is to provide quality, modern, diverse, and sustainable practice-based learning opportunities for all learners across all sectors of health and care.
Scottish practice-based learning infrastructure
There are many individuals, teams and organisations that have a key role in ensuring the development of an AHP workforce of the future. These include, in no order:
- Scottish directors of allied health professions
- Scottish AHP academic heads strategic group
- AHP Federation Scotland
- NHS Education for Scotland
- AHP practice education leads from regional NHS boards
- Higher education institute AHP representatives for practice-based learning
- Placement co-ordinators
- Practice educators
Being and becoming a practice educator
An online learning programme has been developed for new and existing allied health professional practice educators. This is hosted on a national platform accessible across health and social care.
This is essential learning for all dietitians new to supporting learners on placement. It is also an excellent means for existing dietetic educators to update their knowledge and skills.
In addition, the three universities delivering dietetic programmes consistently offer practice educator training.
From classroom to clinic and beyond
You may be reading this as a learner about to go on placement. You may be celebrating completing your placements, with thoughts turning to graduation and looking at career opportunities. You may have recently returned to practice. You may have previously been a practice educator and are thinking how to update your skills and knowledge.
How will you continue to shape the future generation of the dietetic workforce? What really mattered to you as a learner? What worked well within your practice-based learning? How will you bring this with you on your future journey? Will you inspire and support others to be and become a practice educator?
Thank you for continuing to grow a quality learning environment, paying it forwards and playing a key role in practice-based learning.
