Information for Supervisors
Clinical supervisors are critical in providing students with quality rural learning experiences and our Going Rural Health team will work with you as a supervisor to assist you in all areas.
Your role as a supervisor
Your role as a supervisor in our rural health placements will vary from placement setting and discipline, however you may be expected to provide supervision onsite, supervision to students via phone or online (such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom), supporting and checking in with students via email, reviewing pieces of their work (such as reflections and documentation) and completing all relevant assessment tasks required of the home university, please see ‘assessment tools’ below for reference. You will be assisting local communities to receive services that might not otherwise be available.
We assist in setting up the placement, with administrative tasks, liaising with key stakeholders (such as the host site and host university), and providing you with access to interprofessional support.
What is Service Learning?
Service learning (SL) placements occur in ‘real world’ settings and are equally concerned with student learning and in achieving service outcomes for host organisations and their clients. Examples of some SL placement settings include schools, kindergartens, aged care centres, public health services, community neighbourhood houses/organisations, etc.
It is recognised that SL can provide a range of benefits to students and community partners.
See Service Learning Placements for more information and to view our introductory video.
Collaborative supervision models
Service Learning placements require collaboration with multiple stakeholders. In order to promote a positive placement experience for all, it is encouraged that stakeholders are aware of and work within a collaborative model. Stakeholders you will typically be involved with in Service learning placements are:
- Host Site(s)The host site(s) pre-identifies a need within the service that is not currently being addressed with pre-existing resources. The host site(s) acts as a key stakeholder and provides the student(s) with the day-to-day support regarding operations, policies and procedures, OHS, etc.
- Home UniversityThe home university is integral in the placement design phase to ensure that each placement meets the curriculum requirements and that there are sufficient opportunities for the students to achieve their learning objectives.
- Going Rural HealthThe GRH team will provide inter-professional mentoring and support to the students. GRH staff may also act as a support for the host site(s) and / or discipline specific supervisor throughout the placement. Support may be delivered via training, financial and / or the sharing of information or resources.
Skills and attributes you can bring to the placement
The GRH team values the skills and expertise that you bring to placements. Before commencing each placement we recommend that you:
- Familiarise yourself with the host site to ensure you have identified appropriate and meaningful learning opportunities for the students that align with the university requirements, prior to the placement.
- Attend a meeting with the host site to discuss placement details.
- Read the relevant home university handbook and familiarise yourself with the associated placement requirements.
- Ensure that a project brief has been discussed and disseminated to relevant stakeholders prior to the students commencing.
- Plan and disseminate a student timetable/schedule for week 1 prior to the commencement of placement to all stakeholders.
Please see Professional Development for more information on resources available to further develop your supervisory skills.
Assessment Tools
It is important that supervisors familiarise themselves with the assessment tool prior to the placement, ensuring that there will be ample learning opportunities for students to meet a range of the assessment items. It is also likely that a student will need more than one opportunity to do a particular task, so this will need to be taken into consideration. It is also worth planning time in the first 1-2 weeks of placement to model/demonstrate particular techniques and that the students then have an opportunity to do this with support and independently.
As the supervisor, you are encouraged to reflect on placement tasks and clients when assessing the students. There may be some criteria on the assessment that may not be applicable to the placement, especially at the mid-way point. Please continue to use performance descriptors to assist with your marking. Think about the host site as the client and encourage your students to do the same to facilitate their self-assessment. You can find information about discipline specific assessment tools below.
Speech Pathology
The CBOS and the COMPASS are the two tools used for Speech Pathology students. Once you are nominated as a supervisor for a placement, the university will give you a username to access COMPASS online. You can find information and videos at Speech Pathology Australia that talks you through how to use the assessment tool in detail.
Occupational Therapy
The SPEF-R2 is used for Occupational Therapy placements. There is an online training package available through the UQ website, as well as some helpful guidelines from Occupational Therapy Clinical Education Program (OTCEP).
Physiotherapy
The APP is the tool used for physiotherapy and information about how to use the tool can be found on the APP website, and its resource manual.
Nursing
The Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool (ANSAT) is the tool used for nursing and information about how to use the tool can be found on the ANSAT website, and the resource manual.