Clinical EducationChallenges and Strategies

Synthesis of the Day

Wow! What a Day

The Future is Now!1. Envision the future and find solutions – don’t settle for status quo

2. Determine how technology can be used to enhance teaching and how teaching can be done in a variety of sites

3. Design clinical activities in a manner that clinical partners will value and provide students they will value

Innovative Practices

• Gilbert’s 60:40 rule – we pay for the 60% really no idea who pays the 40%

• Clinical Curriculum = Technical competencies + Clinical skills + Professional skills

• BVAC – bright, vocal, assertive and comm?

Innovative Practices• Must move beyond apprenticeship model• Strategies

• Geographic mix of experience – integrate urban, rural and remote• Develop coherent placement strategy• Education of practice educators• Recognize and honour community partners• Share best practices

• Stakeholder perspectives of costs and benefits are an essential pieces of the puzzle

• Partnering with “cousin technologies” is often worth the challenges• Nothing like an outside perspective to build partnership

Innovative PracticesAction Calls:

• National Planning agency under Fed/Prov/Terr

• Support Innovation• HsPnet – web enhanced application for coordinating and improving health science student

placements – “e-mail model”

• Support of Placement research critical• Where does the clinical placement belong in a program – no standard answer!• Time to think outside the box

Educational and EvaluationUsing research, computer technology and testing for skill development and assessment

• Some stressors will always exist and there is little research on this• Stress induced anxiety has a negative impact• Neither training nor experience mediates impact

• Electronic log/tracking• Enhanced understanding of individual student progress and achievements• More timely and accessible information – standardization of “sign off”; trackability; searchability; immediacy; etc.• Results will lead to core preceptorship program changes

• Web CT – allow coordination of multiple sites and coordination of multiple students• Use the array of tools and options to the greatest extent • Work on virtual clinical cases for use by the students • Better student accessibility• Allows for establishment of professional community

Educational and EvaluationUsing research, computer technology and testing for skill

development and assessment

• Web CT – allow coordination of multiple sites and coordination of multiple students

• Use the array of tools and options to the greatest extent • Work on virtual clinical cases for use by the students • Better student accessibility• Allows for establishment of professional community

Simulation• Importance of assessing competency• Entry to practice and Life Long Learning• Benefits include – hands on consequences of decisions,

critical debriefing and repetition of challenge; education/assessment of clinical preceptors

• The 6 R’s – keep it real!• Same Challenges – Money, Time and Environment –

simulation is tool which can help

Simulation

• The Goal should be Integrated simulation – integrated disciplines and industry

• Allows for interactive design of learning needs• Application and integration of Adult learning principles• Students value the opportunity and the experience• May assist in re-design length of clinical placements

Final Thoughts

Old Polish Proverb:

“Always be prepared to feel like a flower in a field of onions”

Change Agents and Innovators aren’t always popular but they are necessary -