Unravelling the challenge of using student learning goals in clinical education

Mentoring New Veterinary Graduates for Transition to Practice and Lifelong Learning

A new veterinarian's smooth and rapid transition from education to clinical practice is critical to their success and that of their new professional homes. Successful mentoring relationships are critical to smoothing the transition to practice, particularly when independent clinical decisions are abruptly required. A mentor acts as a personal coach and teacher, providing both career and personal guidance. While the profession has focused on training mentors, it has paid little attention to teaching mentees how to maximize the benefits of the relationship. Veterinary colleges can do more to equip their graduates with the skills they need to manage their change to working life successfully. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine's (WCVM) substantive gap analysis revealed mentee training as an important issue to address in support of mentorship and established a mentee training program within the curriculum. The program teaches needs assessment, goal setting, identification of appropriate learning activities, and reflection skills as an iterative and cyclical process. Learning activities include working with one's selected mentor (or mentors). These skills are important for lifelong learning and continuing professional development, as well as transition to practice.

A phenomenographic study exploring the conceptions of stakeholders on their teaching and learning roles in nursing education

BACKGROUND

Nursing education involves a number of stakeholders in the teaching and learning process, and these are student nurses, lecturers, clinical instructors and nurses. The role that each of these parties play in the teaching and learning process is dependent on each other and is key to the development of competence among student nurses. However, there is scanty literature on the discourse of how these stakeholders conceptualise their roles to maximise student learning. The objective of this study was to explore the conceptions of stakeholders on their teaching and learning roles in nursing education.

METHODS

Thirty-eight semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted with nursing students, lecturers, clinical educators at a Namibian nursing college and nurses at teaching hospitals. Phenomenographic data analysis approach was applied.

RESULTS

Four conceptions were constructed that described the level of involvement of the different parties in teaching and learning. These were initiating, supporting, becoming part of and owning the teaching and learning role. Three dimensions of variation marked the differences among the conceptions: responsibility and accountability, priorities and level of collaboration.

CONCLUSIONS

The parties involved in the teaching and learning in nursing education have qualitatively different understating of their roles and those of others. There is a pattern transcending from being at the periphery of teaching and learning to taking ownership of teaching and learning. And a movement from limited responsibility and collaboration to that of being responsible, accountable and high level of collaboration in the teaching and learning of nursing students. The conceptions in this study add more ways of enhancing collaboration between theoretical and clinical sites in nursing education, by ensuring that those involved are aware of their role and that of others and work collaboratively at the micro-level.

Translation of learning objectives in medical education using high-and low-fidelity simulation: Learners' perspectives

Objectives

The mastering of learnt procedures by medical students is triggered by numerous elements, including the ability to understand educational goals for specific tasks. In this study, the authors investigated the processes for identifying learning objectives set forth by medical students and the possibility of the chosen simulation fidelity influencing this ability in Basic Clinical Skills and Elderly Medicine courses at the Medical University of Lublin.

Methods

A total of 121 medical students assessed the extent to which learning objectives were implemented in two courses with high- and low-fidelity simulation. Using an online survey with closed-ended questions, a list of learning objectives assigned to the courses was sent to participants. The authors evaluated how the courses were generally assessed in terms of their substantive value and general applicability. The Spearman rank correlation (Spearman's rho), χ2, and descriptive statistics were used for investigating research problems.

Results

Students correctly identified established learning objectives embedded in the courses and positively assessed both courses. Participants' affirmative opinions were related to the high substantive value of both courses.

Conclusions

Teachers and course creators could benefit from students' feedback about the clarity of learning objectives. The application of some of their ideas would promote a student-centred approach in medical simulation. This approach could be considered input for task selection and optimisation of learning.