Abstract
Objectives: To explore the psychological impact of Covid-19 on the educational experience of allied health and healthcare science students.
Design: A participatory research design including focus groups with student researchers was adopted. Student researchers were final year students trained to facilitate online focus groups with their peers and thematically analysed the results with support from the academic team.
Methods: Six peer researchers undertook both synchronous and asynchronous training and worked in pairs to facilitate the online focus groups. This ongoing study has completed three focus groups (FG) (first years FG N=4; second year FG N=4; Final year FG N=4) using an online platform called Blackboard Collaborate. Participants have been recruited via email through the School of Health Sciences.
Results: The themes emerging to date are social isolation, the impact of informal communication on friendships and learning, uncertainty around practice placement, anxiety and increased workload, financial stress and stigma experienced as a result of the media attention on students breaking governmental guidance.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the psychological impact on our future allied health and healthcare science workforce. The health care workforce of Northern Ireland needs nurtured to ensure the provision of health services in the future. This research aims to identify gaps and future needs the students might have so they can be supported to mitigate any impact this might have on their future career. The strong student voice in this research seeks to amplify the student experience and foster research skills within an undergraduate cohort.
Design: A participatory research design including focus groups with student researchers was adopted. Student researchers were final year students trained to facilitate online focus groups with their peers and thematically analysed the results with support from the academic team.
Methods: Six peer researchers undertook both synchronous and asynchronous training and worked in pairs to facilitate the online focus groups. This ongoing study has completed three focus groups (FG) (first years FG N=4; second year FG N=4; Final year FG N=4) using an online platform called Blackboard Collaborate. Participants have been recruited via email through the School of Health Sciences.
Results: The themes emerging to date are social isolation, the impact of informal communication on friendships and learning, uncertainty around practice placement, anxiety and increased workload, financial stress and stigma experienced as a result of the media attention on students breaking governmental guidance.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the psychological impact on our future allied health and healthcare science workforce. The health care workforce of Northern Ireland needs nurtured to ensure the provision of health services in the future. This research aims to identify gaps and future needs the students might have so they can be supported to mitigate any impact this might have on their future career. The strong student voice in this research seeks to amplify the student experience and foster research skills within an undergraduate cohort.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 16 Apr 2021 |
| Event | NIBPS Annual Conference 2021 - Duration: 15 Apr 2021 → 16 Apr 2021 |
Conference
| Conference | NIBPS Annual Conference 2021 |
|---|---|
| Period | 15/04/21 → 16/04/21 |
