Clinical Education Challenges and Strategies

1. Clinical EducationChallenges and Strategies Synthesis of the Day Wow! What a Day

2. The Future is Now! • Envision the future and find solutions – don’t settle for status quo • Determine how technology can be used to enhance teaching and how teaching can be done in a variety of sites • Design clinical activities in a manner that clinical partners will value and provide students they will value

3. 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?

4. 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

5. Innovative Practices Action 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

6. Educational and Evaluation Using 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

7. Educational and Evaluation Using 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Final Thoughts Change Agents and Innovators aren’t always popular but they are necessary - Old Polish Proverb: “Always be prepared to feel like a flower in a field of onions”