Chris O'Connor
Doctorate
Doctorate Title: An Evaluation of Novel Methodologies to support Reflective Practice among Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Practitioners.
Doctorate Description:
Background:
In the education of pre-hospital emergency care practitioners in Ireland, it is only in the last decade that the notion of reflective practice has been tentatively approached as a strategy for learning. Until recently it has largely been ignored as practitioners and educators alike have been slow to engage with this new way of learning.
The purpose of this research project is to examine the value of employing novel methodologies, such as reflective discussion of real-life patient encounters, the use of audio-visual recording technology in medical simulation and real-life patient encounters, to facilitate reflection in order to support reflective learning and reflective practice, both individually and collaboratively, among pre-hospital emergency care practitioners.
Literature:
The research was informed by reviewing literature from a number of areas including: Adult Learning, Reflective Practice, Educational Research directly relating to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and EMS & Nursing Journals and publications.
Methodologies:
An action research model consisting of three cycles was employed. Data was collected via an online survey questionnaire, and by conducting a series of semi-structured interviews with various stake-holders. These included all three clinical levels of pre-hospital emergency care practitioners and educators from emergency service providers, private ambulance services, and voluntary organisations.
Findings:
Many practitioners consider themselves to be reflective practitioners. However, very few of them use a structured model of reflection.
Reflection, and reflective practice are not part of the education standards for practitioners in Ireland, and consequently receive very little attention in most education programmes.
All three new methodologies were deemed to be beneficial by practitioners and educators alike.
Collaborative forums were also found to be beneficial, although concerns were raised about their potential for abuse and misuse.
Recommendations:
Reflective practice to be included in the education standards for all levels of practitioners in Ireland.
Education for course faculty regarding reflection, reflective learning, and reflective practice.
Audio-visual recording of simulated scenarios to be available to students and practitioners to facilitate reflection.
A learning contract to be in place prior to any collaborative forums.
Details:
Type: EdD
University: Dublin City University
Primary Supervisor: Professor Joe O'Hara
Category: Education
Funding: None
Start Date: 2012
End Date: 2017
Status: Complete
Thesis
ThesisResearch Interests
Publications
Paramedic PhD is endorsed by:
