In Vietnam, where occupational therapy (OT) is still an emerging discipline, practitioners need to be extra mindful of the needs of clients and their families. So, when ACU academic Natalie Roche led a small-but-resourceful group of OT students on an overseas placement in Hoi An, she knew they needed to tread carefully.
“The students get exposed to OT in a completely different environment than they’re used to at home, and they learn that what we see as best-practice in Australia can differ elsewhere depending on cultural values.”
Backed by the Commonwealth Government through the New Colombo Plan (NCP), the two-week overseas placement had a distinct focus on culturally sensitive practice. Rather than a one-off tour, the short-term international study experience was designed as part of a sustainable program with ACU’s partner, the Vietnam-based not-for-profit, Children’s Hope in Action (CHIA).
“It requires an open and collaborative approach, where we are learning from our partners– the staff, the volunteers, the clients and their families– and at the same time, we’re helping them to better understand what allied health can do for the children and the wider community.”
Tyla Petrie, who is currently studying a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at ACU, says she valued the opportunity to “jump right into the practical aspect of OT”.
“We were grateful for the opportunity to assist the CHIA volunteers,” she says. “It greatly increased my confidence in planning and implementing one-to-one paediatric therapy sessions with minimal assistance from supervisors.”
During the placement, Tyla worked with a young client whose main goal was to improve his basic dressing skills. “Over the two weeks I worked with him, we incorporated consistent dressing practice into his therapy activities with the volunteers,” she says. Within a week, the client went from needing hand-over-hand assistance when doing up buttons, to dressing himself independently without prompting.
“He was thrilled with this improvement and so proud of himself, which was beautiful to see,” says Tyla, adding that the experience had helped her to confirm a long-term goal to work in paediatric therapy.
The team at Children’s Hope in Action were equally pleased with the outcomes from the placement, saying that staff had learned and exchanged skills, and clients had made rapid improvements thanks to the work of students.
Source: ACU