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CLINICAL
PLACEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Used with permission from
University of Washington, School of Nursing
Nurse-Midwifery Education
Program
This is a summary of potential responsibilities of the Nurse-Midwifery student, the Clinical Site Preceptor, and the educational program faculty, during the student's clinical experience. While there may be variation between individual programs in how these responsibilities are assigned and what the roles are called, this sheet gives an overview of the responsibilities and teamwork involved in placing midwifery students and can be tailored to the specific needs of your program or as a starting point for discussion between all parties involved.
This section can be tailored to address what skills can be expected of the student in any given clinical experience. It will help preceptors understand where the student is in the program and what is realistic to expect from the student.
Example:
The student comes to the clinical site with varying levels of ability to:
- Take a complete health history,
as indicated.
- Take a concise, pertinent
history and do focused exam for a specific complaint.
- Perform a complete physical exam
(including pelvic exam), when necessary, and distinguish normal from
abnormal.
- Make appropriate judgments about
the diagnosis and management of common health problems.
- Record and verbally present
historical and physical findings in an accurate, succinct and logical manner,
using appropriate terminology, and a problem-oriented format, as used in the
setting.
- Obtain appropriate consultation,
as indicated.
- Order/obtain basic laboratory
tests when appropriate, and interpret findings.
- Prescribe pharmacologic and
non-pharmacologic therapeutic modalities.
The skill level of each student will vary depending on the quarter of study. These activities are performed in the clinical setting only under the supervision of the preceptor.
Responsibilities of the Student:
- Contacts the clinical site
preceptor regarding schedule for clinical experience, prior to the beginning
of the term.
- Completes HIPPA
training, submits
required documentation and obtains
security clearance as required by each clinical site.
- Is at the clinical site only
when the preceptor is there. Arrives at site on time to allow
for preparation at beginning of clinic day. Completes charting in a timely
manner prior to preceptor and student leaving clinic.
- Contacts the site preceptor as
early as possible if unable to be at a clinical site as scheduled.
- Identifies and shares his/her
learning
needsand
clinical
experience objectives(approved by faculty) with
the site preceptor by end of first clinical week and negotiates ways in which
these objectives will be met during the experience..
- Presents assessment and
management plans to the preceptor in a logical and succinct manner.
- Submits paperwork including
patient write ups, soap notes or management plans and clinical self
evaluations
to faculty
according to course requirements.
- Maintains a log of patients
seenin
accordance with HIPAA rules and eliminating any identifying information
and submits it to
faculty.
- Maintains professional
appearance and behavior. Dresses in accordance with site expectations.
- Facilitates site visit by
educational program faculty representative.
- Arranges meeting with the
clinical preceptor to complete formal written evaluation of student's clinical
performance at the end of the term. Returns completed clinical evaluation
forms to the faculty academic advisor at the end of each academic term.
- Maintains up-to-date statistics
and makes them available to faculty per program requirements.
- Acknowledges contributions of
the clinical site and preceptor to her/his learning at the end of the term.
- Provides completed evaluations
of the site, preceptor, and clinical experience to the faculty academic
advisor per program
requirements.
- Meet with faculty academic
advisor per program requirements.
Responsibilities of Clinical Preceptor(s):
- Orients the student to the
clinical site.
- Selects patients, with student input as
appropriate, for assessment in relation
to course objectives, student's goals, and level of expertise.
- Outlines, with the student,
professional and
site specific parameters of responsibility for
patient workup, documentation, feedback, and disposition.
- Observes interactions with
patients during the clinical experience
to evaluate the
process and quality of care provided (including student identification and
assessment of chief complaint, significant history taking including relevant
symptom analysis, physical exam, laboratory procedures, assessment, and
plan).
- Listens to student present the
case of 1-2 patients seen during the day using a formal case presentation
format.
- Encourages the student to commit
themselves to an assessment of patients and suggestion of possible management
plans.
- Validates findings and consults
with the student about the patient workup and management,
- Reads student chart
notes, o-signs if chart notes are part
of patient chart and documents their own note in the
patient chart
- Makes time to review the
clinical experience at the end of each shift and to assist student in meeting
ongoing learning objectives
- In the last week of clinical,
completes an
evaluation of the
student's performance, using the form provided by the education program, and
discusses this with the student.
- Communicates immediately with
program faculty regarding a student whose performance is unsatisfactory or
unsafe, or whenever there are anyconcerns about student's
progress.
- Seeks out feedback from the
student and the Community Liaison/program faculty regarding clinical
experience provided at the site.
Responsibility of Program faculty:
- Recruits, assigns, and
coordinates clinical preceptors/sites and students.
- Communicates by telephone with
clinical site preceptor about student progress or concerns.
- Coordinates clinical site visit
per program requirements. Assesses student clinical performance during
site visit and provides feedback to the student, preceptor and academic
advisor.
- Communicates with clinical
preceptors, faculty, and students in order to maximize student learning and
problem-solve when necessary.
- Communicates student's clinical
progress to Academic Advisor and Program Director.