An exploration of the experience of co-supervision practice education placements from the practice educator perspective

Purpose – The increasing demand for practice education placements in Ireland, driven by the growing need for allied health professionals, presents significant challenges. Over the past twenty years, the co-supervision model, which divides the supervision of a single student among two educators, has become more prevalent. This is largely due to its suitability for part-time therapists who wish to facilitate practice education placements. Despite its increasing use, the model has received less attention in occupational therapy than the one-to-one model, the two-to-one and the collaborative model. This paper aims to describe occupational therapy practice educators experiences of facilitating the co-supervision model of practice education. Design/methodology/approach – Using a qualitative descriptive approach, semi-structured interviews were completed with nine occupational therapists to explore their experiences of using the co-supervision model. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase reflexive thematic analysis. Rigour and trustworthiness were achieved through an audit trail, prolonged engagement with the data and ongoing team reflection on theme development. Findings – Reflexive thematic analysis yielded five themes: (i) broad student learning opportunities in the co-supervision model, (ii) communication within collaborative relationships, (iii) co-supervision facilitates participation in the Practice Educator role, (iv) planning and self-preparation are essential and (v) the co-supervision model demands student self-management skills. Originality/value – Providing contemporary nuanced evidence on practice educators’ perspectives of the co-supervision model in occupational therapy placements in an Irish context is essential in highlighting its potential as a promising alternative to other models in facilitating quality student placements.