Thoughts from the Clinic #1

Yesterday was my first induction day for my new post as a clinical supervisor for Peninsula University so I wanted to reflect on that and start a habit of sharing important points that may crop up from my regular time helping the peninsula students.

Because yesterday was predominantly just for induction purposes I deliberately took a back seat to watch and learn from the current supervisors I was shadowing and trying to absorb as much as I could of the overall systems in place rather than taking much of an active role. What I saw was a general organisation level of the clinic run by the nurses that to me felt superior than my experiences at Bristol Uni 8+ years ago. I also saw a group of students about to finish their 4th year who on the whole seemed very competent and largely self sufficient and not needing a huge amount of assistance. Now being realistic I won't be expecting students starting their 3rd year to show the same level of confidence and competence but if they are following the same pathway as the students I saw today that gives me confidence.

What I would have liked to see more of would be the use of photography because of the power I find in it both for demonstration to the pt but also for reflection and learning purposes. I only saw one patient having any photos taken today, but on a positive note the student taking the photos was making quite an effort to get good photos. I will have to work out how I can best encourage the students I am looking after to see the benefits of photography as part of their routine. If you would like to read more about my thoughts on photography and how to see the benefits from it please see here: http://www.drchrisharper.co.uk/blog/category/photography

I don't know quite yet when my next induction days may be but I will aim to keep on sharing my thoughts from my time on the clinics as and when that happens.