“Blended Placement: A Balancing Act”

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated healthcare practice education placement shortages. In Ireland, four occupational therapy programmes developed the blended onsite/offsite practice education placement model to increase placement capacity. Offsite learning included projects, supervision and telehealth, while clinical contact was prioritised when onsite. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of practice educators (PEs) who had supervised students using this model. The study used a qualitative interpretive methodology. PEs with experience of supervising a blended placement took part in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to generate themes from the data. PEs felt the model benefitted students’ self-directed learning and independence. PEs also valued the time apart from the students to be able to manage their own workload. Some were concerned about reduced clinical contact and operational challenges. Overall PEs were positive about the blended onsite/offsite placement model. The flexibility of the model for the PE is key to its sustainability. Findings from this study have informed the development of a Blended Onsite/Offsite Model (BOOM) Planning Guide, which may have applicability to other health and social care professions. The blended onsite/offsite practice education placement model may form part of a wider strategy to address placement capacity challenges.