Transcript Slide 1
EVIDENCE, LITERATURE &
MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL
WORK STUDENTS IN A HEALTH
SETTING
Partnerships in Social Work
Clinical Education
Presenters:
Hans Braaksma
Senior Social Worker
Logan Hospital
Metro South HSD
Brett Davies
Social Work Director
Logan-Beaudesert Services
Metro South HSD
Issues Identified with Current Student
Placement Format
Service structure impact on professional support structures.
Complex skills sets required.
High staff workloads.
Individual focus of student placements.
Variable placement experiences.
Wide experience levels of supervisors.
Impact of workloads.
Voluntary and hard to forecast.
Vulnerable to personality fit and staff stability.
Engagement with Griffith University
Initial discussion, formulation of a draft business case, and
approval for expenditure.
Project goals: Explicit
Scoping of a model for new graduate clinical positions
Enhancement of student placement governance and communication
Review current placement process and identify gaps
Scope the capacity for establishment of structured placement
experiences in core services areas; integrate SW core competencies into
the placement curriculum and develop a learning package that all
students would be exposed to.
Project goals: Implicit
Develop culture of partnership between tertiary sector and the health
setting in managing clinical education (both undergraduate and
postgraduate)
Establish a framework to inform the implementation of a permanent
joint appointment.
Formation of a steering committee: Lesley Chenoweth,
Brett Davies, Helen Redfern.
Recruitment of project officer (8 months): Elizabeth
McDonald.
Project Strategies
Literature Review
Limited literature on SW student education
Staff and student survey’s
Focus Groups
Establishment of Specific Initiatives
Monthly PD calendar by GU academic staff
Supervisors forum
Literature Review
Principal requirements for successful field placement:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Climate of welcoming
Sense of belonging
Quality and interest of supervisor
Learning environment
Presence of peers (strongest evidence)
Capra (2008)
Literature Review cont’d
Transition from University to workplace:
1. Self-initiated active learning
2. Open and welcoming community
3. Newcomer-expert dyad
4. Distributed mentoring
Pare & le Maistre (2006)
Literature Review cont’d
Challenges for new graduates:
1. Managing full caseload
2. Managing complex cases
3. Having full responsibility
4. Taking up personal authority when not confident
5. Time management
6. Feeling one needs to know everything
Smith & Pilling (2008)
Survey of Student Placement Experience
Purpose of evaluation of field placement is to develop a
consistent, supported structure to the experience for both
students and supervisors
Surveyed 29 students in first placement and seven in
second placement
Survey of Student Placement Experience
Explored usefulness of a variety of factors:
University Attributes
Placement Agency Attributes
Field Supervisor Attributes
Explored factors which could help achieve learning goals in
field:
Agency tour
Meeting with field supervisor pre-placement
More than one student at facility
More information on what to expect
Additional online support and resources
Survey of Student Placement Experience
Outcomes (Students)
Some results:
University:
Field Ed’n Manual
Year 1: 66% agreed useful
Year 2: 100% agreed useful
Learning Circles
Year 1: 17% agreed useful
Year 2: 100% agreed useful
Survey of Student Placement Experience
Outcomes (Students)
Some results:
Agency:
Orientation
Year 1: 69% (3% did not occur)
Year 2: 100% (14% did not occur)
Access to supervisor
Year 1: 52% agreed useful
Year 2: 100% agreed useful
Survey of Student Placement Experience
Outcomes (Students)
Some results:
Field Supervisor:
Supervision Quality
Year 1: 66% felt it was useful
Year 2: 86% felt it was useful
Supervision Quantity
Year 1: 56% felt it was useful
Year 2: 86% felt it was useful
Feedback re progress
Year 1: 69% felt it was useful (did not occur for 10%)
Year 2: 14% felt it was useful (did not occur for 71%)
Survey of Student Placement Experience
Outcomes (Students)
Some results:
Things that helped achieve learning goals:
Factor
Year 1
Year 2
Agency tour with University staff
41%
14%
Pre-placement meeting with supervisor
76%
57%
More than one student at placement agency
62%
57%
Information on what to expect on placement
62%
43%
Additional online support and resources
45%
14%
Survey of Clinical Education Experiences
Outcomes (Staff)
Sample:
20 staff (46% of total staff ) surveyed (13 [62%] had
experience with managing student placements)
4 (31%) had supervised 7 or more, 8 (62%) had supervised
3 or less
Results:
Enough time to manage a student:
6 (46%) agreed, 1 (8%) neutral, 6 (46%) disagree
Confidence in skills to teach and guide a student:
4 (31%) strongly agree,8 agree (62%), 1 (8%) neutral
Survey Results Continued
Supported by the University:
Prior to placement; 2 (16%) SA, 7 (54%) A, 1 (8%) N, 2
(16%) D, 1 (8%) SD
During Placement; 2 (16%) SA, 7 (54%) A, 2 (16%) N, 1 (8%)
D, 1 (8%) SD
Organisational Support for student placements: 2 (16%)
SA, 9 (69%) A, 1 (8%) N, 1 (8%) D
Organisation promotes a team approach to managing
students (18 respondants): 4 (22%) SA, 9 (69%), 4
(22%) N, 1 (5%) D
Survey Results Continued
Positive effects of having a student on your practice:
Major Themes; Promotes reflection and keeps practice up to date.
Challenges of having a student:
Major Themes; Time, workload, keeping up to date with trends in
practice .
Effective strategies when having a student:
Major Themes; structured supervision arrangements, effective
communication, team approach.
Impact of having a student in the unit:
Major Themes +ve: decrease in workloads, keep up to date, changes
dynamic.
Major Themes -ve: time impacts, space, workloads.
Survey Results Continued
If you were to get additional support what would you
find helpful?
University
Communication, professional development re supervision
Organisation
time, clinical cover, decreased workload, space, resources, team approach
Line manager
support - time off line, space, understanding
Major Themes
Differing needs for 1st placement and final placement
students.
Preparation, agency acceptance and initial orientation to
work unit were variable.
Ongoing university and organisation support.
Capacity to provide adequate supervision.
Time commitment and workloads.
Keeping up to date with practice trends.
Strategies for Responding to Identified
Needs
Jointly funded education/skills development position.
I.
Coordination and direct support of student placements.
Coordinate research and evidence based clinical care models.
Manage professional development program for SW staff .
Direct support for staff accessing post-graduate study applicable to
the health care setting.
Support the development of joint education initiatives:
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Staff guest tutoring or lecturing.
Facilitate input into the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum .
Structured placements via the integration of work area
competencies with university curriculum. Placements to be
a team responsibility and offered concurrently.
Established set of learning experiences based on core competencies.
Delivered via range of formats (lecture, problem based learning tutorials
etc) and structured sequentially into the placement bloc.
Primary placement management to remain with the supervisor.
All SW team members to take some role in supporting placements.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Improved consistency of placement experience and enhanced learning
outcomes.
Improved job readiness for the health sector.
Less burden on individual staff.
Reduced vulnerability to staff movements or interpersonal fit.
Capacity to skill emerging student supervisors.
Facilitate the involvement of the tertiary sector in
supporting skills development of Social Workers in the
health setting.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Quarterly skills development workshops.
Half yearly forums on practice supervision.
Subsidised access to postgraduate study.
Enhancement of undergraduate & postgraduate curriculum, eg.
Elective in health Social Work.