Developing professional competence in an unfamiliar setting: Practice learning in Zambia

Abstract

Background: Higher education needs to provide students with competencies to meet the health and social needs of a society characterised by increased globalisation and diversity. Occupational therapy students from Norway expressed that learning experiences outside their comfort zone within Zambian placements, have had a profound impact on their professional competence.<p> <p>Aims and objectives: Enhanced understanding of how learning experiences in international placement impact on students’ professional competence. <p>Material and methods: Focus group interviews with three cohorts of students were analysed using thematic cross-case analysis integrated with an iterative reflexive process. Transformative learning was used as a theoretical framework for this analysis. <p>Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis; 1) Feelings of uncertainty and emotional distress; 2) Drawing on available resources to meet the challenges; 3) Handling challenges promote professional competence. <p>Conclusion: Learning experiences significant for developing professional competence goes beyond students’ habitual practice and previous mindset. Students develop generic skills, such as tolerance, flexibility, creativity, awareness of sustainability and professional confidence. <p>Significance: New and more appropriate understandings of students’ placement experiences leading to more adequate and relevant strategies, are in consistence with skills required for twenty first century occupational therapy practice.