Students’ and supervisors’ experiences of supervision and training in clinical learning environment

Abstract

Clinical training for health profession students is important prior to commencing their future professions. The literature describes a tension between the education assignment and patient care in clinical environments with high demands. Understanding students and supervisors’ experiences in the clinical learning environment isimportant to enhance the quality of clinical education.

The overall aim was to explore the clinical learning environment from students’ and supervisors’ perspectives. Study I compared physiotherapy, medical, speech-language pathology, and nursing students’ perceptions of their clinical learning environments. Study II explored physiotherapy students’ experience of supervisors’ preparedness and supervision practices during their first clinical placement. Study III explored medical students’ experiences in the early stages of clinical training. Study IV explored clinical physiotherapy supervisors’ experience of giving feedback to students. To describe and compare students’ perceptions of their clinical learning environments, the Undergraduate Clinical Education Environment Measure was used. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with physiotherapy and medical students. Focus group interviews were performed with physiotherapy supervisors.

The findings suggests that students experienced their clinical learning environment differently, the medical students scoring lower than the other students. The physiotherapy students appreciated supervisors who established a relationship with them, encouraged cooperation in the community, and used intended learning outcomes. The medical students were encouraged to push themselves forward in the clinic and ad hoc solutions concerning supervision occurred. Rather than trying to change the circumstances, they opted to adapt to the busy clinical learning environment. The physiotherapy supervisors found it challenging to provide feedback to students but found support within their network.

Undergraduate students are generally satisfied with their clinical learning environments, but medical students’ low ratings need attention. It is important that supervisors take the initiative to establish a relationship with students and that focus is given for learning outcomes. Supervisors, need support in their educational role, which otherwise risks being downgraded, resulting in clinical training of variable quality for students. The workplace network provides key support for supervisors’ development of their ability to provide feedback to students.