Clinical facilitators gallery 2

What facilitators expect from students video transcript

Gillian Anderson

What do I expect, or what will I find? What I will find, invariably, is a nervous student who’s very excited (laughs). I guess what I expect is that they are motivated. I understand that they’re nervous, and I understand that they’re excited, but I ask them to try and engage with the clinical area, whichever area they’ve been placed in. I like to see them motivated, and to ask questions and not to try and hide what they don’t know, because it is a learning environment that’s – we need to deal with what they don't know.

Rosemarie Herkes

I expect firstly that the students on their first clinical will be enthusiastic, because that’s so important. If someone’s got an interest in learning, they will progress so much more - if the people they’re working with, they’re asking them lots of questions, that will really help. Of course, they need to be prepared – that’s very important. They need to have their stethoscope, their pens, all the equipment they’ll need for their criminal record check and their vaccinations, and they’ll need to be on time. A good way of preparing for that is to, you know, look up the day before the public transport, so they’re on time and they’re well prepared. And also, if they need to look at their subject outline, so they’re aware of all the questions that they’re going to be going through – if they can be fairly well-rounded on their topic, they can make the most out of their clinical as well, because they can make the most of opportunities as they arise on a ward and let the other students know about them as well.

Rebecca Garske

I'd expect students to have reviewed the subject content, be aware of what their specific learning objectives are. On the wards, you’re not going to be necessarily allocated the ward related to your subject, and you’re also going to be presented with a whole lot of learning opportunities. I think, take as many as you can, but know – focus – on what your subject content is, and making the most of practising the skills that you need to practise. I would expect that you do have some basic understanding of the principles of the skills that you’re attending, and what your objectives are.

Talking to patients when showering them video transcript

Flavia D'Souza

When you are taking your patient for the first shower, you must realise that you have to start somewhere, and this is how it’s going to be. It is daunting, it will be difficult, but it’s only – once you start, within the week if you’re really out there, doing things and enthusiastic about learning, you will have done twenty before you leave. So then it won’t bother you any more, but you have to start – the first one, you have to say, “I’m going to do this. I have learned how to do it, and I’m going to do it”. And the patient is really not too bothered, because they’ve been in hospital – they need that shower, you know – they’re not – we’re not – they’re not thinking about you as another human being who is looking at their body, or something like that. They’re just thinking that you are someone who is going to help them meet their needs, and they’re very what should I say, they’re not too inhibited about it – they actually have a conversation with you when you’re showering the patient, so it becomes easier. You should remember that you’re a nurse when you’re providing care for your patient, because that way, you will know that you’re actually addressing their needs, not… not… and assessing them as you do – you’re a professional, you’re assessing, OK, does the patient have bruises, does the patient – is the patient – having pain, or is the patient comfortable? Do I need to provide privacy? If you think about these questions, you take your mind off the other things, so this is what I would do.

Showing a willingness to learn - facilitators video transcript

Flavia D'Souza

In order to show the staff that they are interested, they need to first understand what they want out of that clinical, because if they go and mutter something under their breath and are not sure as to what they’re supposed to do and what they’re not supposed to do, then the staff lose interest in them. But when a student approaches the staff and says, “Hello,” or “My name is so-and-so. I’m a first-year student and these are the things I would like to do. I would like to take a patient…” and in their spare time, they need to go and ask, “Do you need a hand?” or “Would you like me to do something for you?” These things help the staff or makes the other person see that the student is very enthusiastic about learning – and they’re helping me, so I want to do something for that student, and so (1) is of course you need to talk to your... to the staff that you’re working with; (2) is you need to give them certain guidelines as to what your learning goals are, and what you expect – where you expect help from them; you need to offer to help them in your spare time instead of sitting around or doing nothing – you need to go and say, “OK, I’m free now; would you like me to do something for you?” And that’s when the staff think, “Oh, the student - the student’s really good; they’re very interested, they like to come and help me,” and they then want to help the students. They should also do the allocated tasks in – I know they can’t do it in a certain time – but they must make sure that they finish the jobs that are given to them, make sure that they replace the equipment, because these are the things that put off the staff, and then they think, “Oh the student doesn’t… not very keen”. But if you show interest, and whatever you do, you do it nicely, they think you’re keen and want to learn.

Rebecca Garske

In order to show the staff that you want to learn, you need to be ready for clinical. You need to be there on time, presented well in your uniform, and have your list of objectives with you and say, “Look! This is what I want to learn! I’m really looking forward to it – how can you help me?” I guess getting back to the role one, some staff may see students coming and go, “Oh good, another pair of hands – you can go and do those washes, and you can go and do that”. If that’s part of your objectives, then great. And there’s also, I think, because I’m a registered nurse as well who has students, and I know that students slow me down, and that I can get very frustrated, and so there is also a matter of making sure that when you… you’re slowing the nurses down, but you’re also helping them out, so whilst you’re not there to do their work – that’s not your role – it is about working as a team. So show enthusiasm – give them your list of objectives – help them out wherever you can within your scope and hopefully they’ll be able to help you out as well and show you. And not just the nurse you’re working with – you don’t have to stay in that allocated area; that works, but if you hear that there’s another patient going for theatre, or there’s a… something being inserted somewhere, or – put your hand up – “Can I come? Can I watch, please?” And more often than not, people will be happy to show you.

Talking on clinical - facilitators video transcript

Gillian Anderson

As far as I as a facilitator am concerned, my expectation is that students will speak to patients and myself. What I find most difficult is students who don’t engage in the communication, and they try to hide the fact that they’re having problems with language, whereupon you can do nothing about it. So, what I what I would normally tell those students is that you must talk to the patients, you still have to do the handover to the afternoon staff, and interestingly enough I find if you’ve got a student from a non-English speaking background who’s having language difficulties, when they do their handover to the students who have English as a first language, those students are usually very supportive of them.

A typical day on clinical video transcript

Gillian Anderson

A typical day for a first year would be again, the same as most students, in that they would go to the ward and take handover with the ward staff, and in that, they would have a handover sheet. They would then work with an RN – they’d be assigned by the NUM to an RN – and they would work with that RN for the shift. Usually, if it’s a morning shift, they do showers and bed-making and that sort of thing. If it’s an afternoon shift, they’ll start off doing observations. But the usual work revolves around doing showers, personal care, activities of daily living, communication with patients, vital signs, and I also expect them to look at patients’ notes and do things like falls risks and pressure area assessments on particular patients. My expectation is that they will always know what's wrong with the patients that they’re caring for that day.

Then they will have their meal breaks, and I usually ask if they’re first years whether they want to go together, but I think it’s nice if they stay on the ward and stay with the cohort of people that they’re working with for the shift for both morning tea, or whatever meal break they’re having, and we meet at afternoon for a debrief session. And that’s normally the scope of their day.

Rebecca Garske

The role of the first year, first semester student on clinical is, as it says, a student. You’re there to learn and experience and practise skills, and the wards are very busy – there’s a lot of people on missions, buzzing around on their own mission – their role is definitely to support you – to support – it’s in the ANMC that they’re there to facilitate your learning as well but they don’t always have that as their main focus. So because you’re the student, it's very important for you to go knowing what you want to learn, and how you’re going to best learn it, and to be aware of your subject content, to know what your personal objectives are, and to seek out opportunities. And if you’re struggling in any way to meet those needs, to call your facilitator and get them to support you in ways, because the staff, as I say, it is their role, but they also have a lot of other roles that are maybe taking priority at the time.

Flavia D'Souza

When you are taking your patient for the first shower, you must realise that you have to start somewhere, and this is how it’s going to be. It is daunting, it will be difficult, but it’s only – once you start, within the week if you’re really out there, doing things and enthusiastic about learning, you will have done twenty before you leave. So then it won’t bother you any more, but you have to start – the first one, you have to say, “I’m going to do this. I have learned how to do it, and I’m going to do it”. And the patient is really not too bothered, because they’ve been in hospital – they need that shower, you know – they’re not – we’re not – they’re not thinking about you as another human being who is looking at their body, or something like that. They’re just thinking that you are someone who is going to help them meet their needs, and they’re very what should I say, they’re not too inhibited about it – they actually have a conversation with you when you’re showering the patient, so it becomes easier. You should remember that you’re a nurse when you’re providing cares [sic] for your patient, because that way, you will know that you’re actually addressing their needs, not… not… and assessing them as you do – you’re a professional, you’re assessing, OK, does the patient have bruises, does the patient – is the patient – having pain, or is the patient comfortable? Do I need to provide privacy? If you think about these questions, you take your mind off the other things, so this is what I would [do].

Working with facilitators video transcript

Gillian Anderson

What can the student do to help me help them to achieve on clinical is that they need – the student and I both need to have an excellent communication. So they need to tell me when they’re having problems, or when they don’t understand something, and I need to be communicating with them so that I can pick up when that’s happening. What I really like them to do, and what I try to get them to do, is to come each day with a goal that they want to achieve, so that they are goal or outcome driven, and that they can discuss that goal with their RN and also with me, so that – RNs love to have a student who knows what they want to do, and usually students do much better if that’s the way they do it. So, motivation, appear…a willingness to engage with patients and the RNs and the ward environment, and to be goal-centred – to know what they want to do.

Rebecca Garske

I'd expect students to have reviewed the subject content, be aware of what their specific learning objectives are. On the wards, you’re not going to be necessarily allocated the ward related to your subject, and you’re also going to be presented with a whole lot of learning opportunities. I think, take as many as you can, but know – focus – on what your subject content is, and making the most of practising the skills that you need to practise. I would expect that you do have some basic understanding of the principles of the skills that you’re attending, and what your objectives are.

My role, my – the reason I’m on clinical – is to help the students as much as possible, and in order for me to help them the best, I need them to be open with me, to let me know what their learning needs are, to let me know when they’re challenged by things. I guess, don’t be scared of me – I will come around and I may ask you questions, and I may hang around, but I’m there to support, and I’m not there to intimidate you or make you feel uncomfortable. And whether I like that or not, students always feel stressed when I’m around, but that’s not my intention – I’m there to help! So please, you know – and I’m learning all the time as well, and I hope that we can learn together on clinical, and that you would feel comfortable with me, being able to ask me questions to make sure you get the most out of the placement that you can.