JCPSLP Vol 15 No 2 2013_lores

18 / 60

68 JCPSLP Volume 15, Number 2 2013 Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology
reflection in making sense of it. The significant impact of
early challenging situations on the participants in this
research highlights this aspect as an area that must be fully
considered both in the training of CEs and also when
facilitating students’ reflective practice. Reflection on early
critical incidents could perhaps be used as a tool during CE
training to facilitate discussion and identify potential learning
points with developing CEs.
The participants’ stories also suggest that university
placement organisers and other SLT colleagues should be
alert to any CEs who have had challenging experiences
while supervising students and should offer them follow
up support. This might be in the form of a debrief meeting
that allows for a critical evaluation of their experience or
through the inclusion of clinical education issues as a
matter of routine in peer or mentor support sessions. This
might prevent de-motivation and even burnout in those
CEs who otherwise would be left feeling unsupported and
without an avenue for other peer discussion. However,
while formal training for CEs continues to be limited in the
UK, these SLTs’ stories also demonstrate that this does
not mean clinicians are poorly equipped for the role. On the
contrary, they are highly skilled, reflective practitioners who
develop the necessary skills by drawing on a diverse range
of experiences.
References
Baddeley, A. D. (1992) Implicit memory and errorless
learning: A link between cognitive theory and
neuropsychological rehabilitation? In L. R. Squire & N.
Butters (Eds.), Neuropsychology of Memory (2nd ed.; pp.
309–313). New York: Guilford Press.
Bluff, R., & Holloway, I. (2008). The efficacy of midwifery
role models. Midwifery, 301–309.
British Association of Occupational Therapists.
(2008). Guidance on accreditation of practice placement
educators’ scheme. Retrieved from
sites/default/files/apple/public/APPLE-Guidance.pdf
Butler-Kisber, L. (2010). Qualitative inquiry: Thematic, and
arts-informed perspectives. London: Sage Publications.
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. (2004). Accreditation
of clinical educators scheme guidance. Retreived from
development/practice-educators/accreditation-clinical-
educators-ace-scheme
Chivers, G. (2010). Informal learning by professionals in
the United Kingdom. In H. Bradbury, N. Frost, S. Kilminster,
& M. Zukas (Eds.), Beyond reflective practice. New
approaches to professional lifelong learning (pp. 120–129).
Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Coffey, A., & Atkinson, P. (1996). Making sense of
qualitative data . London: Sage Publications.
Cortazzi, M. (1993). Narrative analysis. London: The
Falmer Press.
Cruice, M. (2005). Common issues but alternative
solutions and innovations. International Journal of Speech-
Language Pathology, 7 (3), 162–166.
Dreyfus, H. L., & Dreyfus, S. E. (1986). Mind over
machine: the power of human intuition and expertise in the
era of the computer. New York: Free Press.
Ferguson, A. (2010). Appraisal in student-supervisor
conferencing: A linguistic analysis. International Journal of
Language and Communication Disorders , 45(2), 215–229.
being a CE through that sharing (Cortazzi, 1993), was,
for these CEs, in the main part limited to informal chance
discussions rather than through formal peer or supervisory
support meetings. Yet all of the participants reported that
they valued opportunities to share stories and hence reflect
and learn from their experiences with their colleagues.
Drawing on speech and language therapy
clinical skills
As skilled communicators in a clinical role that includes
elements of both counselling and teaching, the SLT has
specific skills that are readily and obviously of benefit in the
role of the CE. These skills may be the core interpersonal
and communication skills that are used in everyday clinical
practice or be related to formal therapy techniques that are
used with clients, for example Brief Solution Focused
Therapy (Macdonald, 2007). It may be that certain
techniques learnt to support clients’ communication may
be transferable to the student learning situation. The most
obvious of these are techniques such as scaffolding
learning, modelling language use and identifying achievable
goals. The participants were able to identify how they drew
on those core skills in developing as CEs. They talked
about using behaviours with students that they used with
their clients:
They [students] need more time and building up of
confidence but it’s part of being a therapist. It’s part of
what you have to do with all your clients, isn’t it? It’s
the same sort of set of skills (Ann)
In terms of developing those skills, I think most
clinicians probably have them. We structure and we
scaffold and we do that naturally with our clients.
(Marie)
Another concept, transferred from working with clients, is
that of the philosophy of errorless learning (Baddeley, 1992)
which was described as also being effective in supporting
students’ learning:
I tend to sort of take the same approach as I do with
patients which is things like errorless learning and I
don’t really like to allow students to flounder around
and make mistakes. (Beatrice)
The participants spoke of how, in supervising students,
they drew on and applied the professional and clinical skills
routinely used by a SLT in practice. It would seem therefore
that the theory and skills learned as an under-graduate as
preparation for clinical practice also contribute to preparing
SLTs for the role of CE and this should perhaps be made
more explicit to both students and CEs at an early stage.
In summary
Learning through their own experiences as both student
and CE; drawing on a range of resources such as tacit
clinical skills, peer support and formal training; and
engaging enthusiastically with the concept of continuing
professional development were core themes in these SLTs’
stories of learning to be clinical educators. The importance
of experiential learning and reflection, collaboration, and talk
as important factors underpinning each of these themes
was also apparent. The findings of this study highlight the
importance of all stakeholders in clinical placements, Higher
Education tutors, CEs and the students themselves,
acknowledging the lasting impact of early student
placement experience and recognising the value of critical