Meredith Pleffer

Teaching Academic
BSc, Grad Dip OT.

Email: meredith.pleffer@nd.edu.au

• Biography

  Meredith Pleffer is a Lecturer in the Occupational Therapy Discipline within the School of Health Sciences. Meredith has a BSc (UNSW) and Graduate Diploma in Occupational Therapy (OT) from the University of Sydney. Her career spans over 40 years working with NSW Health in the acute hospital setting as a Generalist Specialist, Level III and Student Educator, Level IV. Over these years she has also taught at University of Sydney (School of OT) and more recently at UNDA in the Discipline of OT. She is the Course Coordinator for first year Occupational Therapy students this year at UNDA, Sydney campus.

• Teaching areas

  Meredith has taught and supervised many OT students during her years as a clinician. She has coordinated supervision of students from most of the NSW universities who offer OT courses. This included a 4.5-year project called SHIRES which was an interprofessional student led clinic focussing on health improvement, referral and education helping people prevent or manage their chronic disease(s). Meredith has also been involved in teaching clinicians, especially in the area of clinical supervision, reaching both OTs working within NSW Health and in private practice through her role as chairperson to the OT PED group (OT Practice Educators Development group).

  Currently Meredith is teaching in the three OT first year courses which focus on OT theory and core skills of OT practice. This is in preparation for the students' first placement at the beginning of second year. Meredith has a keen interest in linking theory with practice and engages with clinicians regularly to ensure students are learning the relevant skills they require for their upcoming careers. Another key area of interest is the promotion of students' learning through the use of best teaching methods.

• Conference papers

  • 2019 Abstract submitted and accepted for e-Poster display OT Australia 28th National Conference and Exhibition entitled "SHIRES (Sutherland Health Improvement, Referral and Education Service):an Interprofessional student led clinic, empowering people to improve their health, using a behaviour change approach"
  • 2016 Patient Experience Symposium oral presentation "Patient reported outcomes and experience guiding the model of care for SHIRES"
  • 2015 SAHRT multidisciplinary health professional symposium oral presentation "SHIRES (Sutherland Health Improvement, Referral and Education Service): an Interprofessional Student Led Clinic for people with chronic disease""

• Professional affiliations

  • Registered Occupational Therapist with AHPRA
  • Chairperson of the OT PED group (OT Practice Educators Development) group