INTERNATIONAL SHORT TERM MOBILITY: ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY

The increasingly multi-cultural landscape in European healthcare calls for professionals in training to be exposed to different cultures, thereby developed cultural sensitivity and strengthening their professional identity.... [ view full abstract ]

The increasingly multi-cultural landscape in European healthcare calls for professionals in training to be exposed to different cultures, thereby developed cultural sensitivity and strengthening their professional identity. Addressing and training these competencies is therefore vital (WFOT, 2009). A partnership of three European universities offers short term mobility weeks to incoming students and students from the home university with a focus on professional identity. To gain deeper understanding of students’ experiences a qualitative evaluation study was conducted (Kaelin, Poerbodipoero, Guidetti, Blankvoort, & Kubli, ongoing analysis). Focus group interviews were analysed content based. Findings revealed personal and professional development as an experienced outcome by the students. Experienced challenges were found in the area of missing work at home and need to take initiative for travel arrangements. Similar challenges outlined in literature (Jurgens & McAuliffe, 2004) may lead to students not taking part in short term mobility.

The goal of this workshop is to share experiences and discuss possibilities with educational staff, students, OT practitioners and researchers to approach those challenges and to facilitate establishing and implementing short term mobility.

Maximum number of participants: 25

Brief description of intended participants:
Students, educational staff, OT practitioners and researchers interested in the topic of short term mobility.

References

World Federation of Occupational Therapists (2009) Guiding Principle on Diversity and Culture. Available at: http://www.wfot.org/ResourceCentre/tabid/132/did/306/Default.aspx (Accessed: 10 April 2014).

Jurgens, J. C. & McAuliffe, G. (2004). ‚Short-Term Study-Abroad Experience in Ireland: An Exercise in Cross-Cultural Counseling’, International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 26, 147-161.