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Context and Background: Athletic therapy postsecondary education and certification requirements in Canada have reached considerable milestones throughout their history. The most important of these accomplishments was administration of the first Canadian Athletic Therapists' Association (CATA) certification examination in 1975. At that time, there were three basic exam eligibility requirements: (1) core curricular courses; (2) 1800 practical hours; and (3) a valid first aid certificate. The only significant change to these certification requirements occurred in 1976, when the 1800-hour internship requirement was reduced to 1200 hours. However, a documented rationale for this change could not be determined. The noteworthy milestone occurred when the CATA approved a policy stating that, as of September 1999, all future athletic therapy candidates would have to be enrolled in a Canadian accredited program at a postsecondary institution. Although this policy significantly advanced the CATA's postsecondary academic/curricular requirements, the 1200-hour internship requirement has remained unchanged for almost four decades. Objective: The purpose of this commentary is to stimulate discussion about the linkage between the practical-hour requirements and teaching, evaluating, and achieving clinical competence. Recommendations: Recommendations for change are based on lessons learned by other organizations for medical educators and allied health care professions, such as the National Athletic Trainers' Association. One suggestion for change is to hold students accountable for achieving a predetermined level of clinical competence before they move through or graduate from a program. In order to accomplish this goal, students must be assessed with valid and reliable evaluation tools. Conclusion: Therefore, it is important to establish a group of stakeholders who can identify issues and articulate a plan to guide the future of postsecondary athletic therapy education in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the role of specialty trainees as clinical teachers of medical students in the area of psychiatry in Australia. It discusses several approaches that will help trainees to enhance their skills and capacity, providing examples from the local and international literature as well as from experiences as psychiatry medical educator. It highlights the need for further development of research and scholarship in medical education.

Simulation is a modern educational tool that has recently gained in the field of medical education. The use of simulation continues to expand, and studies evaluating the effectiveness of simulation-based medical education are ongoing. The history of medical education and adult educational theory are reviewed, and the details of effective simulation techniques are described. Finally, outcomes of simulation-based medical education are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and objective. The aim of this study was to describe oral shift reporting and to discuss whether it stimulates learning for nursing students in clinical rotations in nursing homes. The goal was to investigate aspects that are important for oral shift report to be instructive for nursing students. Background. Nursing students’ clinical learning experiences are important components of their professional development. Oral shift reporting serves several purposes and provides an opportunity for professional communication that supports both educational and social functions for nursing students during clinical practice. Design. A qualitative study. Methods. The study features both field work with field notes and qualitative research interviews was conducted in 2006. Twelve third-year nursing students and their supervising nurses ( n = 11) participated in the study. Results. The nursing students described a range of experiences with oral shift reports. Some perceived little educational benefit from the oral shift reports, while others felt that both the form and the content of the oral shift reports were useful. The students’ experiences corroborated the statements provided by the supervising nurses in the nursing homes. Conclusions. We conclude that oral shift reporting may be an important learning opportunity. This is especially true when nursing students engage in professional discussions with their colleagues and superiors. Our findings suggest solutions to improve the learning value of the oral shift reporting process for nursing students. Relevance to clinical practice. Oral shift reporting can stimulate learning if it includes consultation and discussion between nursing students and the nursing staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a pilot study that was undertaken to test the Snapshot tool-an innovative tool for making judgements about clinical practice performance. An evaluative research design was used. The Snapshot tool was designed and was piloted on two groups of students (n=180; n=152) in a university-based simulation setting. Data were collected through questionnaires containing a mixture of Likert-style and open-ended questions. First-year students found the Snapshot process and criteria to be realistic and relevant/applicable to practice, useful for receiving feedback and for structuring feedback to others, and the Snapshot was largely perceived as more preferable for university-based assessment than Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Third-year students evaluated the Snapshoot tool in terms of both the Snapshot process (40% of statements made) and the Snapshot criteria used (60% of statements), finding the criteria realistic, appropriate, clear and comprehensive, and the process helpful to their learning, helping them to identify their strengths and weaknesses and helping them to identify specific skills that they need to improve. This article makes a contribution to the clinical assessment agenda for two reasons. Firstly, with the introduction of the use of simulation as part of legitimate clinical practice experience it offers a tool for assessment of students in simulation activities. Secondly, it explores the potential for this tool to be used as a part of the assessment of students during their clinical placements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Here, we compare clinical skills training in the 20th and 21st centuries in two different countries, in order to underline advancements and principal obstacles. Methods. The clinical training of medical students in the nineteen-sixties at the Sarajevo School of Medicine, Yugoslavia, and contemporary training at one of Europe's prestigious medical schools at Heidelberg University, Germany were analyzed with respect to the organization of training, teaching tools, methods, and staff. Several issues were defined as unimproved over the course of time, and we suggest that they present the core of the current problem. Results. Considerable advances have been made in teaching methodologies, tools and assessment of students. The major remaining obstacles are the institutional value system, poor motivation of teaching staff, curriculum structure, timing, and placement of training in the curriculum, as well as the patients' attitude towards participation in the training. Conclusions. In the process of bettering the existing training models we suggest acting along several lines. Increased institutional awareness of obstacles, as well as willingness to develop the ways and means to increase the motivation of the faculty, is imperative. Furthermore, it is necessary to introduce changes in the structure and timing of training and to complement it with a Catalogue, Practicum and Portfolio of Clinical Skills. We believe that recognizing the impediments and employing the proposed solutions could significantly improve the quality of clinical skills training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the issues of concern related to practicum experiences in undergraduate education programs. It states that practicum experiences are an integral component of the curriculum in most of the undergraduate education programs. Preservice teachers have identified several concerns including the implementation of managerial and instructional practices, and assuming the role of instructional leader. It also provides suggestions for improvement of authentic learning opportunities.

The study unit Spirituality for Health Carers was part of the BSc(Hons) nursing/midwifery programme which aimed at providing an innovative clinical placement for students. This placement promoted the delivery of spiritual care to clients in Lourdes. This paper discusses the experiential learning of students based on Gibbs (1988) Framework of Reflection. The scarce research demonstrates that caring for clients in Lourdes enabled students to develop meaningful relationships due to increased carer to clients' ratio, more time available and the presence of role models who were dedicated and compassionate with clients. Qualitative data were collected by a reflective diary, a written reflective assignment and a focus group discussion. The four themes which emerged from the data are team building, holistic care, trustful nurse-client relationship and strengthening personal spirituality. Recommendations were proposed to enhance the delivery of spiritual care and holistic care by further exposure of students to care for the pilgrims in Lourdes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]