Identifying and profiling clinical training placement stakeholders and models of clinical supervision and facilitation in WA

Identifying and profiling clinical training placement stakeholders and models of clinical supervision and facilitation in WA

Clinical training placements occur in a diverse range of settings in Western Australia (WA), including: hospitals (public and private), community based health services, primary care services, Aboriginal and Community Controlled Health Services, mental health services, aged and community care services, private practice, non-government organisations as well as discipline-specific clinics run by educational providers or public health facilities, for example public dental clinics.

The WA Clinical Training Network (WA CTN) was established to ensure WA health services and education and training providers are optimally positioned to offer quality clinical placements to health students, contributing to the development of a skilled and competent health workforce that will meet the needs of the WA community.

WA CTN engaged HMA to examine the need for enhanced collaboration, communication and support between stakeholders, by undertaking extensive consultations with stakeholders involved in clinical training placements, focussing on identifying and profiling the stakeholders, and identifying models of clinical supervision and facilitation.

HMA contacted stakeholders involved in the provision of clinical under-graduate, post-graduate and vocational education and training placements in 25 health professions in Perth, Broome, Bunbury, Port Hedland, Geraldton and Narrogin.

Key tasks:

• identified and profiled stakeholders engaged in clinical training placement activity, including identifying the level and nature of student placement activity by profession, type of placement and health service provider type; identified the differences in the profile of placements in rural and metropolitan areas; and identified the level and nature of inter-professional and innovative placement activity
• identified enablers and opportunities to increase placement/enrolment capacity in the future by profession and type of placement
• identified models currently in place for the provision of clinical supervision and clinical facilitation by profession, and for inter-professional placements, including elements of good practice associated with quality placements and expanding placement capacity, and
• identified current partnerships, groups, networks and committees operating and their constituent membership, purpose and activity, including mapping existing networks; identified professions where there was a need to strengthen or to develop new networks.

The project commenced in April 2013 and was completed in June 2013.