Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE HSC5005

 
TITLE Applied Clinical Education in Health Care Practice

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Faculty of Health Sciences

 
DESCRIPTION For many health practitioners, becoming a trained clinical supervisor/mentor is the next step in developing as a professional. Clinical Supervision/mentorship involves combining professional knowledge and experience, a range of relevant theory and practices, with awareness and intuition. The biggest challenge of clinical supervision/mentorship is balancing the need to provide an appropriate learning experience while ensuring patient quality care and safety.

This study-unit will enable students to critically evaluate the concept of clinical supervision and mentorship and apply it to their immediate work environment. The persons completing this study-unit will establish themselves and their credibility while maximising the number of people they can work with. This study-unit is interprofessional in nature, and this is reflected in the variety of professional backgrounds of the students as well as of the academic staff delivering it.

Students following this study-unit shall be considered as student clinical supervisors or mentors, and so would not be eligible for remuneration for mentoring a student as part of the requirements of this study-unit. This will not influence any other arrangements outside this requirement.

Study-unit Aims:

The aim of this study-unit is to develop advanced teaching, learning and assessing skills to form and maintain a supervisory/mentorship relationship with students or junior staff. The study-unit also aims to provide the background, understanding and skills for clinicians to create a learning environment within which students thrive.

This study-unit is designed to enable the student to:
- Analyse a range of models of supervision and educational theories that are both practical and evidence-based;
- Develop an advanced understanding of supervisory structures and processes;
- Develop a critical understanding of the principles of successful clinical supervision; and
- Develop a critical understanding of the different ways in which clinical supervision can be assessed and evaluated.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Identify quality indicators of clinical supervision/mentorship;
- Discuss theories and concepts that are relevant to mentorship/clinical supervision;
- Critically consider the usefulness of models of supervision relevant to the health practitioner's area of practice;
- Critique issues that arise in the practice of clinical supervision/mentorship using evidence from the literature;
- Evaluate learner-centred approaches to clinical supervision/mentorship that maximise patient safety;
- Reflect on one's own values and beliefs systems and deliberate the ethical and legal dilemmas that may occur within the organisational context of supervisory practice/mentorship; and
- Critically discuss challenging issues that typically arise during daily clinical practice that influence patient/client care.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Apply the principles underpinning the models of clinical supervision/mentorship in one's area of practice;
- Manage and integrate factors such as organisational, ethical, professional and legal influences;
- Reflect on and develop one's supervision skills through the assessment and teaching of a health student on a registered placement using criteria established by the University of Malta;
- Propose actions that will facilitate the student placement as a learning environment;
- Use problem solving techniques to address issues that arise during supervisory practice/mentorship;
- Construct learner-centred approaches to clinical supervision/mentorship that maximise patient safety;
- Demonstrate leadership qualities in supervisory practice /mentorship;
- Develop a supervisory/mentorship relationship with a student and associated health practitioners and academics within the organisational context; and
- Demonstrate an approach to the provision of feedback to students that results in performance improvement.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

- Allen, T.D. (2007) Blackwell handbook of mentoring: a multiple perspectives approach. (Supplementary reading)
- Bastable, S. B. (2017). Nurse as educator: Principles of teaching and learning for nursing practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning. (Main text)
- Bishop, V. (2007) (ed.) Clinical supervision in practice: some questions, answers and guidelines for professionals in health and social care. (Supplementary reading)
- Carozza, L.S. (2011) Science of successful supervision and mentorship. (Main text)
- Cohen, R. (2004). Clinical supervision: What to do and how to do it. Thomson. (Supplementary reading)
- Colley, H. (2003) Mentoring for social inclusion : a critical approach to nurturing mentor relationships. (Supplementary reading)
- Falender, C.A., Shafranske, E.P. (2004) Clinical supervision: a competency-based approach, American Psychological Association. (Supplementary reading)
- Falender, C. A., Shafranske, E. P., & Falicov, C. J. (2014). Multiculturalism and diversity in clinical supervision: A competency-based approach. American Psychological Association. (Supplementary reading)
- Falender, C., Shafranske, E., & American Psychological Association. (2004). Clinical supervision : A competency-based approach. American Psychological Association. (Supplementary reading)
- Gopee, N. (2015). Mentoring and supervision in healthcare. Sage. (Main text)
- Launer, J. (2014). Supervision, mentoring and coaching. Understanding medical education. Evidence, theory and practice. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell. (Supplementary reading)
- Morton-Cooper, A. & Palmer, A. (2000) Mentoring, preceptorship and clinical supervision: a guide to professional support roles in clinical practice. (Supplementary reading)
- Rose, M., & Best, D. (2005). Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision, and mentoring. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. (Main text)
- Schoo, A., & Welch, D. (2010). Clinical and fieldwork placement in the health professions. Oxford University Press. (Supplementary reading)
- Stuart, C. (2013). Mentoring, learning and assessment in clinical practice: A guide for nurses, midwives and other health professionals (3rd ed.) Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. (Main text)
- Walsh, D. (2014). The nurse mentor's handbook: Supporting students in clinical practice (2nd ed.) (Main text)

Added and continuously updated literature will be supplied from online peer-reviewed journals.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-Requisite qualifications: Degree in a Health Science (MQF Level 6), state professional council registration in Malta for at least two years prior to application, recent clean police conduct certificate.

Obligatory attendance to all teaching sessions and workshops, and obligatory participation in online tasks is enforced. 100% attendance is required for successful completion.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Indep Study, Lect, Online Learning & Practicum

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Case Study (Exam Conditions) (2 Hours) SEM1 Yes 30%
Online Moderated Discussions and Postings SEM1 No 70%

 
LECTURER/S Rachael Agius
Paul Bezzina
Marjorie Bonello
Therese Bugeja
Michelle Camilleri
Michael Galea
Stephen Lungaro Mifsud
Veronica Montebello
Jonathan Loui Portelli
John Xerri De Caro

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit