Practicum Experience
Keely worked at a very high level and in a very professional manner. She demonstrated that she is able to work both independently and as a team member. Her attention to detail and her need (and ability) to reach very high standards means that the work she produces is above the level required for the task at hand
- Dr Bernadette Sebar (Senior Lecturer, Griffith University)
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Queensland Health - Nurses Lifestyle Needs Assessment
My first placement experience was working with Team Health at the Gold Coast University Hospital to complete a needs assessment to identify the health status of nursing staff currently employed at the hospital. This placement was chosen to further develop my skills in research, particularly in data collection, and apply the skills and knowledge I had acquired throughout my degree in the professional setting.
Overview of Organisation
Team Health was established in 2014 by Gold Coast Health to develop programs at both the Gold Coast University Hospital and Robina Hospital to support the health of employees through the prevention of chronic disease. The programs are designed to encourage staff to be active and healthy, offering a broad range of health and wellbeing classes and groups such as tai chi, yoga, and the Team Health cycling club. Gold Coast Health in collaboration with Team Health has registered for Queensland Health’s Workplaces for Wellness Initiative, and is working towards becoming a recognised workplace for employee health and wellbeing.
Learning Goals
Goal 1: Apply my knowledge and skills in the professional setting, and contribute to improved evidence-based practice in health promotion
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Objective 2a: Be confident in voicing my ideas and opinions when working and collaborating with other health professionals
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Objective 2b: Be open to guidance from my supervisor, and ask questions to further increase my knowledge of public health and health promotion
Goal 2: To develop knowledge and skills specifically related to the process of conducting a needs assessment to effectively inform public health interventions
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Objective 1a: To develop a greater understanding of the rationale for a needs assessment within the public healthcare system, and how this can be used to inform future practice
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Objective 1b: To develop knowledge and skills specific to my role in collecting, analysing and reporting on data for this needs assessment
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Objective 1c: To demonstrate my ability to complete a comprehensive needs assessment to a professional standard
Goal 3: To become more independent and self-sufficient, applying problem-solving and time management skills to effectively negotiate the completion of a research project
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Objective 3a: To improve my time management skills so that I am successfully able to manage competing priorities and complete tasks in a timely manner
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Objective 3b: To develop my skills in problem-solving and being able to work autonomously to complete the needs assessment
Leadership Qualities/Program Planning/Communication/Community Engagment
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Activities Completed
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Data collection - dissemination of 140 surveys to nursing staff
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Data analysis - quantitative analysis utilising SPSS, and thematic analysis of qualitative data
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Written report - comprehensive needs assessment including: literature review, methodology, quantitative and qualitative data, conclusion and recommendations
VIEW REPORT
>>> Reflections
Below I have reflected upon the learning goals I developed prior to completing my placement. I have framed these in the 'STARL' format: situation, tasks, actions, result and learnings.
Goal 1: Apply my knowledge and skills in the professional setting, and contribute to improved evidence-based practice in health promotion
Writing the needs assessment for Queensland Health gave me the opportunity to apply the research knowledge and skills I had learnt over the course of my degree in the professional setting. Working in the most part by myself, I was required to write a comprehensive report, applying the knowledge and skills I had learnt in research-specific courses throughout my degree. To achieve this, I utilised previous assignments and work I had completed to ensure that the report was of a high standard. I believe I was successfully able to transfer my academic research skills into the professional public health setting, and found that this process helped to develop these skills and apply my theoretical knowledge to a ‘real world’ situation. These skills allowed me to contribute to evidence-based practice in health promotion, and will be valuable moving forward into the future, particularly if I choose to pursue a career in research.
Goal 2: To develop knowledge and skills specifically related to the process of conducting a needs assessment to effectively inform public health interventions
Being involved in the needs assessment I was required to partake in the collection of data from nurses at the Gold Coast University Hospital. I carried out this task with fellow students Brynne Beck and Lily Lewington, and Team Health Coordinator Mara Bennett, collectively handing out over 140 surveys to hospital staff. We found it very difficult to recruit enough participants to the study, an issue I attributed in-part to the fast-paced environment we were working in, and the significant length of the survey. This obstacle lead to the re-evaluation of the data collection process, with the decision being made to place collection boxes in designated wards throughout the hospital. I greatly benefited from engaging in this problem-solving scenario, having to think of alternative ways to ensure that we could recruit a sufficient number of participants for the needs assessment. This second method proved to be successful, and demonstrated how some elements of research are unpredictable, and when conducting a needs assessment, it is important to be able to seek alternatives to problems, and be creative in finding solutions. This hands-on experience has exposed me to the challenges of recruiting participants to a study, an issue that I predict will be encountered in my professional work. I am therefore able to use this experience to inform future research projects I undertake.
Goal 3: To become more independent and self-sufficient, applying problem-solving and time management skills to effectively negotiate the completion of a research project
Towards the end of writing the needs assessment I was dedicating many hours to the project. At this point in time I was working primarily from university writing the body of the report in consultation with Bernadette. To complete the written aspect of the needs assessment, I had to report on the results and display these in a visually appealing way, and write a conclusion including recommendations which Bernadette and I discussed together. I was able to complete the task, however I believe my time-management skills were not very effective, delaying the completion of the needs assessment. I received feedback indicating my need to perfect a task was interfering with my ability to complete the task. This feedback helped me to re-evaluate the way I approach tasks, and highlighted the need for me to work on being able to manage my time more effectively. This is an extremely important skill in the workplace, and I must continue to work on this in both my personal and professional life.
