Description of the Modules

Here is the introduction and a list of learning outcomes for each module:

• Module 1: Orientation - Welcoming the Student, Roles and Expectations

  • Introduction:
    First impressions are lasting according to the old adage, and this rings true for the clinical experience offered to a student. As the preceptor, you need to plan an orientation that will kick start the educational experience and will set the stage for a successful clinical rotation. An orientation includes an introduction to you - the preceptor, other key personnel, the facility and clinical practice and the learning opportunities available to the student. A well planned orientation includes a review of expectations/roles of students and preceptors, identification of learning goals and strategies for meeting these goals, parameters or limitations of the placement and key time lines. The orientation of students helps to create a positive learning environment and fills them with inspiration about the placement on which they are about to embark.
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Understand the importance of welcoming students to a clinical educational experience
    • Learn how to establish the preceptor/student relationship
    • Identify the key elements of a successful orientation to the clinical placement site
    • Understand the roles of preceptor and student

• Module 2: Developing (Really Useful) Learning Objectives

  • Introduction:
    This Module has been designed to be of benefit to both preceptors and students. It is recommended that students and preceptors collaborate to build learning objectives for each placement according to guidelines proposed in this module. This deliberate planning will help to ensure that productive objectives are developed and that they are consistent with placement requirements, student experience and skills, facility policies and procedures, available opportunities, and workload challenges.
    
    Developing learning objectives is a mutual endeavor between preceptor and student and builds in a mechanism for evaluation and modification, which will ensure that both preceptors and students are striving to meet the same placement goals collaboratively and cooperatively.
    
    Investigating the sections in this module will provide you with insight into both preceptor and student perspectives and challenges.
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Articulate the value of developing well-defined learning objectives
    • Differentiate between well-defined and poorly defined learning objectives
    • Develop productive learning objectives based on the models provided
    • Identify when and how learning objectives should be reviewed, reconsidered, or reshaped
    • Access resources for developing learning objectives and for further study

• Module 3: Giving and Receiving Informal Feedback

  • Introduction:
    Whether a placement is one week long or two months long, the preceptor and student get to know each other well. This close working relationship creates an excellent opportunity for the preceptor to share their assessment of the student’s performance. The practice environment is an ideal place for students to learn and try out new skills. The preceptor’s role is to observe the student in action and provide feedback to help improve the student's performance. This module will increase preceptor and student comfort level with giving and receiving feedback. Learners will come away with simple strategies to incorporate feedback into daily practice environments in which education occurs.
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes:
    
    • Understand the importance of feedback in practice education and learn how to set the stage for the feedback process
    • Discover how to effectively incorporate feedback into the daily partnership between preceptor and student
    • Identify when to give feedback and how to frame it for the best learning outcome
    • Understand how to adjust feedback to the experience level of the student
    • Learn how to increase comfort and learning when on the receiving end of feedback

• Module 4: Understanding and Fostering Clinical Reasoning

  • Introduction (Movie):
    Hello and thank you for choosing to complete this module on fostering and understanding clinical reasoning. Clinical reasoning is one of the most important clinical skills we develop as healthcare providers and yet it is one of the areas we rarely talk about.
    
    In this module, we have tried to ensure that there is information for both the student and the preceptor. We feel that it is important for you to consider both sides of the issue when you go through this module, and so if you have time, select the links to the various perspectives.
    
    The material for this module has come from a wide variety of resources that are all referenced at the end of the module. However, we would like to thank in particular Lisa Mendez and Jodene Neufeld who allowed us to modify and use material from their manual entitled “Clinical Reasoning…What is it and why should I care?” especially when presenting the student perspective on a variety of topics.
    
    We hope that as you go through this module you will develop a better understanding of clinical reasoning skills and how to foster it in yourselves and in others.
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes: After completing the module, learners should be able to:
    
    • Articulate the value of understanding and developing clinical reasoning skills
    • Identify the tenets of clinical reasoning
    • Identify different ways of thinking about, developing, and teaching clinical reasoning skills
    • Describe the developmental progression of the clinical reasoning process
    • Evaluate your own clinical reasoning skills and consider guiding questions to foster further clinical reasoning skills, or to assist in the development of these skills in others

• Module 5a: Fostering Reflective Practice

  • Introduction:
    Developing your capacity to reflect in and on practice is one of the most important dimensions of successful professional practice and the development of expertise.
    
    
    The aim of this module is to take you, the health care professional and health care professional student on the journey of incorporating reflection into your own professional practice.  The reflective practice journey does not end when you have completed this module, but rather, begins as you take away new insights and strategies that will guide you along the path of reflective practice.
    
    

    This module will explore the following types of reflection:

    • Anticipatory Reflection
    • Reflection-in-Action
    • Retrospective Reflection or Reflection-on-Action
      
      

    This module considers the following questions:

    1. What is reflection and reflective practice?
    2. What is the purpose of reflection and reflective practice?
    3. How does one engage in reflective practice?
    4. What are some strategies and approaches that you can apply to foster student's learning and your own learning in everyday professional practice?
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes:
    
    • Increase preceptor and student knowledge of the rationale and benefits of reflective practice.
    • Identify various types of reflection.
    • Understand the major tenets of reflective practice.
    • Learn strategies to incorporate reflection into professional practice and into the student-preceptor learning relationship.

• Module 5b: Advanced Topics in Reflective Practice

  • Introduction:
    This module builds on the knowledge you developed in the introductory module  entitled " M5a: Fostering reflective practice". Developing your capacity to reflect in and on practice is one of the most important dimensions of successful professional practice and the development of expertise.
    
    The module is divided into three sections and considers the following questions:
    
    a) Why has reflection become important in contemporary practice in the health professions? What is the purpose of reflective practice?
    b) What are the major theoretical tenets underpinning reflective practice?
    c) How does one engage in reflective practice? What are some strategies and approaches that you can apply to foster your own learning in everyday professional practice?
    
    This module will increase preceptor and student  comfort with the purposes, language and concepts of reflective practice. The module also offers an introduction to practical approaches to integrating reflection into professional life and to fostering reflective conversations and collaborative approaches to reflection.
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes:
    
    • Articulate the rationale and purposes of reflective practice
    • Understand the major tenets of reflective practice
    • Consider various strategies for learning through reflection on your practice experience
    • Identify principles that inform reflective organizational cultures, reflective conversations and collaborative reflection.

• Module 6: Dealing with Conflict

  • Introduction:
    Conflict occurs frequently in relationships. The preceptor-student relationship is an important relationship where inability to resolve conflict can impact the learning encounter. “It is within a challenging and at time daunting work environment that two complete strangers must strive to accommodate one another within a professional capacity.” (Younge, Myrick and Haase, 2002, p.85)
    
    Preceptorship is a common learning experience in a variety of health disciplines, however this same experience is one of the most stressful of student experiences.  Preceptors also feel stressed by the increased responsibility and workload that working with a student creates.
    
    Conflicts between students and preceptors are more common than we may be aware of.  A study by Mamchur and Myrick (2003), explored the nature of conflict in preceptorship placements and found that 28.2% perceived conflict in their preceptor-preceptee experience and that 51% of these individuals either ‘frequently’ or ‘almost always’ felt conflict with their preceptor. Conversely, 16% of preceptors reported that they either ‘frequently’ or ‘almost always’ felt conflict with their students. 
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes :
    
    • Understand the types and causes of conflicts.
    • Learn about various conflict management styles.
    • Introduce a conflict resolution model.
    • Discover general conflict resolution and prevention strategies.

• Module 7: The Formal Evaluation Process

  • Introduction:
    The formal evaluation can be a daunting event for both student and preceptor.  Yet, this process often has a lasting impact on the student’s development both professionally and clinically.   It is also a defining moment that will stay with students when they look back on their placement experience.  This module will give you practical tips and strategies to turn this closing task of the placement into a positive and rewarding experience all around.
    
    
  • Learning Outcomes:
    
    • Understand the formal evaluation process.
    • Differentiate between an observation and a judgment.
    • Learn about student perspectives on evaluation and how to foster student self critique.
    • Identify several methods of collecting information in preparation for the formal evaluation.
    • Identify some key elements to incorporate into the formal evaluation meeting.
    • Discover ways to assist the faltering or failing student.