A Model of Student Supervision to Best Support the Unique Needs of the Paediatric Setting

AimA tertiary paediatric facility undertook a review of student supervision models and subsequently adopted a Clinical Partnership Program (CPP) whereby student supervision is managed from within the organisation rather than university supplied facilitators or supervisors. This project aimed to evaluate the CPP model of student supervision from a range of perspectives; this presentation focuses on the experience of the student.MethodFollowing HREC approval and securing consent students were provided with a QR code that linked them to an online survey hosted on Qualtrics™. The survey was comprised of some simple demographic data and the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES+T) tool. The CLES+T tool is a 30 point validated instrument used to evaluate the learning environment for student nurses.ResultsTo date 293 students have completed the survey. Within the domain of relationships students overwhelmingly agreed that the relationships they formed were positive and respectful and this promoted learning (90.1%). In respect to the learning environment students felt staff were approachable (93.42%) and most (77%) felt comfortable taking part in handover/huddle conversations. The respondents (91%) also stated that they felt that the Nurse Educator and/or Clinical Practice Facilitator were accessible to them.ConclusionsTo strengthen the future paediatric workforce we must consider the experience of students on placement. Good supervision whilst on clinical placement is closely associated with a positive learning environment and improved student experiences. Experienced paediatric staff that are embedded in the organisation are well positioned to support students