A whole new adventure...

An expression of my thoughts and feelings on my OT journey, both personal and professsional.

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Use of Social Media in Continuing Professional Development (CPD)


The use of social media has, in recent years, received lots of bad press such as ‘social gatherings’ being turned into ‘British versions of Project X’, or the youth police commissioner’s slightly unsavoury opinions being aired very publicly. It has also been used with good intention, for example people attempting to identify ‘suspects’ in the Boston bombings. Many people have concerns about privacy and how easily accessible personal information can be accessed, however Social Media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can have many benefits if used wisely.

It is not designed to replace real life, but to augment it, giving individuals access to a wider community and with it, a far greater knowledge and opinion base. It can be used to keep in touch with old friends, to play a part within a community, engage in discussion, further explore topics and it gives people an understanding of ‘online etiquette’.

In terms of an Occupational therapy presence on social media sites all the well-known bodies are to be found, The COT/BAOT has both Facebook and twitter, as does the CAOT, AOTA and HCPC. The CAOT also has a blog! It is very easy to find Occupational Therapists on both Facebook and Twitter, and there are many that blog too!!

There is published guidance on the use of social media for Occupational Therapists published by the College Of Occupational Therapists (COT) and generic APC guidance from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

In the Governments response (Patients first and foremost) to the Mid Staffs Inquiry and the resulting Francis Report, acknowledged the efforts of “cross-profession Twitter chats between AHP groups such as the occupational therapists (#OTalk) and nursing groups such as #WeNurses” p31. As I have previously mentioned, OTs are using the hash tag #OTalk to engage in a weekly chat on a particular topic. I had read these chats eagerly for a while before participating in one on 2nd April about the transition from Student to Practitioner.

After participating in this chat I wrote a reflection on it (see later in post), and was able to reflect on the idea of using social media participation as a continuing professional development (CPD) activity. The COT and HCPC give clear guidance on what is expected of an Occupational Therapist in terms of CPD.
5.4 “You are personally responsible for actively

maintaining and continuing your professional
development and competence, and for participating
in learning opportunities over and above those which
are legally required for your work. You must maintain
your continuing professional development (CPD) to
meet the standards of proficiency for registration
with the Health Professions Council.” -COT.

Reflecting on talking part in #OTalk.

What happened?
Two things – firstly I was able to participate in an informal CPD activity and secondly I had the opportunity to discuss the transitional period from student to practitioner with people who had either already experienced it, or were in the same position as me and were nervous about that transition. I had often ‘lurked’ but never actively participated, but was made to feel welcomed, and contributed to the discussions.

Thinking and feeling?
I was a bit nervous, as I didn't want to get the ‘netiquette’ wrong, and felt like someone may find my questions silly, but at the same time I felt empowered – I had the opportunity to discuss and share things from OTs from many different areas, both practice areas and geographical. It was a little surreal that I was conversing with so many OTs in a very public domain, yet it was so informal. I felt comforted by some of the points raised, as they were concerned I shared, and the coping strategies and advice given were reassuring. It was nice to hear other OTs who are now experienced and in practice had felt how I am currently feeling.  The main point that stuck me was when it was said that it is important to be realistic and not to expect too much from yourself.

Evaluation – Positive or negative?
It was a very positive experience. I was able to increase my knowledge base, and network with people in the same profession, in a very unique way. It is something that I have recommended to other of my course, as I found it beneficial.

Analysis – Make sense of the situation
I was able to increase my communication skills in a very different way; it was the use of an informal social networking platform, yet I was still required to get my point across in a clear and concise way. 140 characters is very little.  I felt reassured, and welcomed into a professional community that has a large presence on social media sites. It allowed me to reflect on my own skills and strategies and take on board advice and suggestions.

Conclusion –Could I have done anything else?
I need to make a conscious effort to participate more – due to work load pressures at the moment I am not really finding the time. But I suppose that’s a smart goal I can write for myself…
 
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AOTA-
@AOTAInc



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