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Optimizing the Role of Clinical Educators in Health Professional Education

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Clinical Education for the Health Professions

Abstract

Clinical educators have a unique teaching role in that they need to support student learning while ensuring patient safety and service delivery. This chapter discusses the role of the clinical educator in preparing students for work integrated learning, and how they support students’ learning trajectories during their practical placements. The skills and qualities of effective clinical educators are outlined including the intrinsic attributes that facilitate student learning, and other teaching skills such as organizational, assessment, and feedback skills. Methods for professional development for this group are proposed to assist in improving engagement and both the student and clinical educator experience. This chapter also explores the role of the university in helping develop clinical educators and the importance of building productive relationships between academic and work integrated learning settings. Evidence from a range of health professions are used including allied health, medicine, and nursing.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Deparment of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Simone Gibson & Claire Palermo

  2. School of Clinical Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Simone Gibson

  3. Monash Centre for Scholarship in Health Education, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Claire Palermo

Authors
  1. Simone Gibson
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  2. Claire Palermo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simone Gibson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Debra Nestel

  2. King's College London, London, UK

    Gabriel Reedy

  3. School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia

    Lisa McKenna

  4. Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Manchester, UK

    Suzanne Gough

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Gibson, S., Palermo, C. (2021). Optimizing the Role of Clinical Educators in Health Professional Education. In: Nestel, D., Reedy, G., McKenna, L., Gough, S. (eds) Clinical Education for the Health Professions. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6106-7_125-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6106-7_125-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-6106-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-6106-7

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