title: Feedback and clinical practice improvement: A tool to assist workplace supervisors and students.
abstract: In work integrated learning, students may report difficulties applying theory learned at university to clinical practice. One contributing factor may be students' inability to engage in meaningful reflection and self-correcting behaviours. This paper reports the evaluation of a tool, process and resources developed to assist students to reflect on feedback and engage in self-assessment. Students were assisted to develop self-assessment skills by reflecting on, and engaging with feedback from previous workplace experiences to develop goals, learning outcomes and strategies to improve performance with mostly positive results. A secondary aim was to identify common learning strategies or barriers that impacted on student outcomes. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: 1) preparing for clinical learning, 2) relationships and engagement levels, 3) shared awareness and, 4) developing clinical practice. Overall students felt the tool assisted them to narrow their attention on what needed to be improved. While supervisors believed the tool helped them to focus on specific needs of each student. Common barriers to clinical practice improvement related to a lack of opportunity in some settings, and lack of staff willingness to support students to achieve identified goals. Students and supervisors found the use of the tools beneficial and assisted students to demonstrate a greater understanding of how to apply feedback received to support their learning in the clinical environment.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, 160 Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland, 4111 Australia. Electronic address: p.calleja@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calleja
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, 4059 Australia. Electronic address: tm.harvey@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, 4059 Australia. Electronic address: a.fox@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: School - Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, 4059, Australia. Electronic address: maryann.carmichael@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carmichael
mesh_terms: D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D011231:Preceptorship; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Clinical placement; Performance improvement; Reflective practice; Work integrated learning