The Clinical Experience

**Although clinical experiences vary for every student, there are some aspects that should be common to all students.**

**Positive Aspects of the Clinical Experience** (1)

* Development of supportive relationships and contribution to the overall atmosphere with:

* Other hospital staff
* The students site-based supervisor
* The students faculty-based supervisor
* With the patients they interact with:
	+ Students will contribute to the overall atmosphere of the clinical setting by creating valuable supportive relationships. Organizational relationships with staff and fellow students enhance the student’s professional tendencies as well as potential careers pathways. Supportive relationships are essential to a patient-centered care.

* Other students completing clinical experiences at the same location

* Personal and professional growth

* The application of knowledge with real-life practice:
	+ Students will initially take an observational stance during the preliminary clinical practicums. Once the student feels ready, they will begin to apply the theoretical knowledge into practice. In upper years of study and practicum level, students will be expected to perform these tasks at a higher, less supervised level.
* Development of professional qualities:
	+ Students will begin to develop and strengthen their professional qualities over time. Attending a professional setting with real-life health care professionals and patients will help the student to develop their own professional style as well. These qualities among various others may include communication skills, technical proficiencies, and work ethics.
* Gaining experience through the successful completion of assigned tasks:
	+ Students will be granted the opportunity to complete assigned tasks. These tasks will either be required by objectives laid out by your designated program faculty or instructed by your preceptor/supervisor. Successful completion of assigned tasks will build on your accomplishments as a health care professional within your professional portfolio.

* Participating as a member in an inter-professional team:
	+ Students will draw on their knowledge and combine this with other health care professionals to complete assigned tasks. Clinical practicums are interprofessional environments where being a team-player is essential to providing the best possible patient care.

**Negative Aspects of the Clinical Experience** (2)

* Personal challenges

* Financial expenses (accommodation, tuition, travel):
	+ Students may experience additional financial expenses due to the clinical practicum. Clinical practicum locations may not be available in a student’s hometown, and therefore would require the student to move or travel to the site. There is also typically a tuition expense for the practicum.

* Travel difficulties (distance, weather, mode of transportation):
	+ Students may experience travel difficulties while attending the clinical practicum site. This may include long distances between the student’s place of residence and clinical site, need for a mode of transportation, and instances of weather difficulties.
* Quality of life (isolation) when placed at long distance location:
	+ Students may experience quality of life issues if they are not able to secure a local clinical practicum site. This may include homesickness and being away from friends and family, as well as the student may be required to work shift work and long hours.

* Professional challenges

* Heavy workloads:
	+ Students may experience heavy workloads depending on the clinical site. Clinical sites may incur fluctuating patient care volumes, and therefore the student may be asked to assist with the increased number of patients as well as the more difficult cases.
* Time-management challenges in a new environment:
	+ Students may experience time-management difficulties to complete assigned tasks. This is attributed to the lack of professional experience in a clinical environment as well as potential heavy workloads.

* Feeling of anxiety or ill-preparedness for responsibilities:
	+ Students may experience periods of anxiety and ill-preparedness due to an overwhelming cloud of responsibilities. This feeling may be attributed to the unavoidable lack of experience, knowledge, and practice that comes with being a student.

* Inter-professional challenges

* Conflict with supervisor or other staff:
	+ Students may experience conflicts with management or other staff while attending the clinical practicum. Interprofessional conflicts can be common in the workplace, but it is important for the student to act in a professional manner. Students may present the conflict to their designated program faculty or appropriate channels at the clinical site.
* Demeaned by lack of acceptance as professionals:
	+ Students may experience the feeling of being demeaned along with conflict by other health care professionals who do not accept the student’s role in the clinical workplace. These health care professionals may not take the student seriously and value their important or view them as a hindrance.

* Practicum policy and procedure issues

* Program and organizational inequities (Insufficiency of mentor-ship and evaluation):
	+ Students may experience insufficiencies of mentorship and evaluation during the clinical practicum. Educational institutions work with health care organizations to try to provide the best sources of mentorship and evaluation through their preceptorship programs, however, not every member of staff is trained in this regard. Also, depending on the clinical practicum site there may be higher workloads, which would lead to decreased qualities of mentorship.

References:

(1) https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/mje/2008-v43-n2-mje2548/019580ar/

(2) https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/mje/2008-v43-n2-mje2548/019580ar/