Practicum Sites Research Articles

A survey of practicum training practices in clinical neuropsychology

Objective: While previous survey research has focused on various training constituencies such as trainees, and postdoctoral/internship supervisors, no previous survey research has examined the needs and perspectives of practicum level supervisors and training programs. This study was designed to address this limitation. These results were used in forming the North American Association of Practicum Sites in Neuropsychology (NAPSN). Method: A 41-item survey was developed and distributed to practicum supervisors across the United States and Canada via listserv. A total of 142 supervisors completed the survey; the majority were employed at academic medical centers (62%) and located in the U.S. (93%). Most participants evaluated adults (61%), while a minority evaluated children (27%), or patients across the lifespan (12%). Results: Most respondents supervise one (44%) or two (26%) students per year and prefer advanced trainees (>90%). The majority (78%) indicated students see one case per week. The number of clinical contact hours and reports varied based on location (U.S. vs. Canada) and population (adult vs. pediatric). Supervisors found professional papers and publicly available didactics to be the most helpful resources. Commonly endorsed needs included help with policies and procedures (53%), supervising trainees from underrepresented groups (49%) and nontraditional backgrounds (44%), and access to didactics (49%). Conclusions: The survey provided insights into current practices and the needs of practicum supervisors. These findings will inform NAPSN’s development of materials and policies to support trainees and supervisors and can guide other professionals in supporting their practicum trainees as they navigate training in neuropsychology.

Students' core competence performance during fundamental nursing practicum: A cross-sectional survey with importance-performance analysis.

Limited available studies compare the core competence performance of students undertaking their practicum at different level-of-care practicum sites. This study aimed to (1) compare the gaps between the perception of importance for competence and the perceived performance of nursing students at practicum sites involving different level-of-care and (2) identify low competencies that must be prioritized for improvement at different sites during the fundamental nursing practicum. Cross-sectional design. A total of 659 students who had passed their fundamental nursing practicum within 1 month from six nursing colleges in Taiwan were recruited. The students completed the 25-item Core Competence in Fundamental Nursing Practicum Scale, wherein both the importance and performance level of each item are indicated. One-way analysis of variance along with the Scheffe post hoc test and importance-performance analysis were used to explore the gaps between the perception of importance for competence and the perceived performance and to identify weak competencies that must be prioritized for improvement, respectively. Compared with nursing students practicing in district hospitals (predominantly caring for chronically ill patients), nursing students practicing in medical centres (predominantly caring for patients with severe and critical conditions) had larger gaps in total scores and the application of nursing processes. Students in medical centres also had larger gaps in professional attitude than their counterparts in long-term care facilities. Importance-performance analysis identified a common shortfall in communication skills among nursing students for all level-of-care practicum sites. Students at long-term facilities had the highest number of weak competencies that required improvement. The results of this study can guide instructors in designing curricular activities focused on the weaker core competencies of the students at a practicum site for each level of care. No patient or public contributions.

Exploring trainee perspectives on barriers and facilitators in serious mental illness doctoral training.

Although there have been momentous and critical advancements in serious mental illness (SMI) psychology doctoral training models and competencies, there is still much systemic change needed to increase access to evidence-based SMI training for psychologists. In the last decade, there has been little to no growth or expansion of SMI training opportunities in clinical psychology doctoral programs in the United States, and psychologists are underrepresented in serving clients with SMI. As trainees and trainers committed to careers in SMI, the contributors aimed to identify barriers and facilitators throughout each stage of the SMI doctoral training pathway, including pregraduate school, graduate school, and internship to reflect critically on systemic issues that have impeded trainees from accessing the appropriate tools for SMI training. This conceptual article reviews the existing literature on barriers and facilitators to accessing SMI training. In centering trainee perspectives, the contributors also reflect on their own experiences through brief narratives illustrating the barriers and facilitators they have faced across training stages with existing empirical research. Recommendations made by the contributors include increasing access to financial support and mechanisms, diversifying departments and practicum sites to include SMI-focused training, and people in positions of power advocating for and centering trainee voices in departmental training decisions and development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

'There is no justice in nursing school': A qualitative analysis of nursing students' experiences of discrimination shared on Reddit.

To explore nursing students' experiences of stigma and discrimination within nursing programmes as shared on Reddit, and how other Reddit users offer support and guidance. Qualitative interpretive description. Through a critical social theory lens, this study draws on students' posts from three nursing subreddits: r/studentnurse, r/nursingstudent and r/nursing. Data were collected from March 2013 to March 2023. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to generate broad themes of nursing students' experiences of stigma and discrimination, and how other Reddit users offered support and guidance. A total of 43 posts with 1412 associated comments were included in this analysis, which generated three predominant themes of nursing students' experiences. Nursing students faced stigma and discrimination across contexts, including from peers, nurses and other healthcare providers working in clinical practicum sites, and patients. Nursing students' posts described navigating the impacts and consequences of such experiences, including on well-being, and programme and career success. In contexts where students were often alone in their experiences of stigma and discrimination within their programmes and with few identified supports, Reddit users sought support and community through Reddit. While many comments offered validation and support, challenges of this social media platform included conflicting advice and unhelpful, judgmental messages. Despite widely articulated social justice commitments in the profession, nursing students continue to experience stigma and discrimination across contexts within their nursing programmes. Nurses and nurse educators have a responsibility to acknowledge and make visible such experiences, and take direct action to prevent and remediate stigma and discrimination within nursing education. This research contributes to the growing empirical evidence that nursing students' experience stigma and discrimination within nursing programmes and the healthcare system. Adherence to COREQ guidelines was maintained. No patient or public contribution.

Practicum to Practice Program: Improve Nurse Recruitment and Assist Schools of Nursing while Decreasing Length and Cost of Nurse Onboarding

An innovative pre-hire clinical placement program offers nursing students an opportunity to select a 1:1 senior practicum placement and accept their first job as a registered nurse on that same unit, prior to the start of the final semester practicum course of an entry-to-practice nursing program. This placement program provides a competitive recruiting strategy for a regional health system, a desired level of autonomy for nursing students, decreased orientation costs, assistance to schools of nursing by offering senior practicum sites, and increased recruitment of new graduate nurses during a critical nursing shortage in the United States.

Advanced Practice RN Student Practicum Placements: An Academic Health Center and College of Nursing Collaboration.

Academic health centers are faced with limited resources to navigate placement of advanced practice RN (APRN) students at the same time as APRN programs continue to increase. Clinical practicum sites are in higher demand due to clinical hour increases by accrediting organizations. This article describes a successful approach to the inefficient use of administration and preceptor resources for APRN student practicum placements via an innovative academic health system partnership.

An international telehealth experience in Guatemala.

An increase in competition for nurse practitioner preceptors and United States-based clinical practicum sites along with an increase in required direct patient care clinical hours demand innovative methods for gaining valuable nurse practitioner clinical experiences. Involving nurse practitioner students in medical mission trips to low-resource countries and follow-up telehealth clinics have been beneficial for all involved. Guatemala is a developing country in Latin America that has a high rate of poverty, malnutrition, and a lack of health care. Annual medical mission trips are beneficial in meeting the health care needs of Guatemalans but lack the frequent follow-up necessary to promote a more sustained impact. A monthly telehealth program was established in a rural area of Guatemala to promote the continuity of care for children with malnutrition. This article discusses associated barriers, strategies to overcome those barriers, and the inclusion of nurse practitioner students to meet the needs of the Guatemalan children with malnutrition using a telehealth program.

Analysis of The Educational Practicum Difficulties of Preschool Teacher Training Students Under the Cooperative Education

The study investigates the difficulties faced by preschool teacher training students during their educational practicum. A qualitative research was used, involving a non-quantitative questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, including a sample of 100 three-year preschool interns, who were asked to report on their problems and difficulties encountered during the practicum. The findings reveal a range of issues related to the imperfect cooperative education system, including inadequate depth of cooperation between the practicum sites and teacher training colleges, as well as an unreasonable pathway for implementation. We need to strengthen the depth of cooperation between the practicum sites and teacher training colleges to help the student teachers get through their educational practicum successfully.

Exploring the cognitive apprenticeship approach in teacher education: a case study of an early childhood practicum experience

ABSTRACT High quality field or practicum experiences are important for preparing preservice teachers for the profession. Studies suggest preservice teachers rate their practicum experiences more favourably when their cooperating teachers mentor them using apprenticeship-type practices. There is scant research on how such an approach is used in early childhood practicum settings. Using a case study design, the researcher investigated how the teaching methods of the cognitive apprenticeship (CA) could be used to support a year-long early childhood practicum. Twenty junior year practicum students and two cooperating teachers participated in the study. Data were collected from interviews, focus groups, and observations. Findings indicate the methods of the CA approach supported teaching and learning at the practicum site because of intentional support for shared practice among participants, gradual release of support from cooperating teachers, and because the practicum was nested in a community where relationships and collaboration were prioritized.

Capacity building in mental health: preparing Caribbean psychologists for the future

PurposeThe English-speaking Caribbean is currently at a crossroads regarding the education and training of home-grown psychologists meeting the ever-increasing demands for mental health care in the region. This paper recommends an innovative approach to build capacity in mental health care in the English-speaking Caribbean that will require partnerships between the regional university, experienced registered practising psychologists, professional resources in the diaspora, public health and education institutions, which will produce trained clinical supervisors, PhD psychologists and improved mental health services in the region.Design/methodology/approachDocuments about the postgraduate programmes in psychology from the regional university were sourced. PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar were searched for the English language published articles using the key phrases psychology AND/OR psychologist AND/OR education AND training AND mental health. Searches of the reference lists of included articles were also undertaken.FindingsPostgraduate psychology programmes in the region have become stalled at the master’s level. Meanwhile, doctoral-level training is being sought outside the Caribbean largely due to the lack of availability of trained clinical supervisors. Moreover, training outside the region may lead to deficits regarding cultural relevance of practices, as well as impede the overall development of Caribbean psychology.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides insights into the current practice of education and training for Caribbean postgraduate psychology students and the implications for the development of the practice of psychology in the region. Recommendations for educational and training strategies are provided.Practical implicationsThe proposed framework presented will help upgrade experienced master’s-level trained psychologists to PhDs with training in clinical supervision through Research Advancing Intensive Supervision Education (RAISE) doctoral programmes and can cultivate improved mental health services with a wider reach across the Caribbean.Social implicationsRaising the training standards of the psychologists, preparing clinical supervisors and increasing access to practicum sites will improve the trajectories of psychologists within the English-speaking Caribbean and the mental health of the population. Such changes will help to ensure the use of culturally appropriate therapies with Caribbean clientele. There are many social implications for capacity building within the practice and research domains of the preparation of psychologists. For example, increased access to psychological care, improved well-being of citizens, decreased prevalence of work absenteeism and improved management of citizens’ mental health and well-being.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights into the current practice of education and training for Caribbean postgraduate psychology students and the implications for the development of the practice of psychology in the region. Recommendations for educational and training strategies are provided. The proposed organising framework presented offers a new conceptual model that can be used to guide the capacity building of psychologists within the English-speaking Caribbean. The proposed framework will help upgrade experienced master’s-level trained psychologists to PhDs with training in clinical supervision through RAISE doctoral programmes and can cultivate improved mental health services with a wider reach across the Caribbean.

Virtual LIS practicums: Student and supervisor experiences during COVID-19, part 1

Pre-professional fieldwork helps graduates pursue specialized library careers, addressing the well-documented experience barrier that many graduates lack. Because COVID-19 required remote learning, virtual practicums may continue, offering LIS graduates the chance to learn from experts and develop skills beyond traditional LIS curriculum. Virtual practicum benefits have been addressed in previous literature, but student perspectives are not usually included. In this two-part series, the student and supervisor describe challenges with their virtual practicum experience so others may replicate similar experiences. Part 1 will set the stage for the structure of the practicum, introducing background information about participating institutions, preparation for the experience, student learning objectives, and reporting for course credit. The host institution and practicum site agreed to modify the existing in-person experience into a virtual format because of COVID-19. The virtual activities aligned with the student-defined learning objectives. Structure was essential to the success of this virtual practicum. Expectations were established early on about workload, communication, file management software, and designated virtual meeting spaces. Others who seek to replicate a similar experience may use part 1 of this series as a template for designing a virtual practicum. Part 2 will reflect on the student and supervisor’s experiences and lessons learned. The following two appendices are available as supplementary files from the link in the right sidebar: - Appendix One: Practicum Guidelines - Appendix Two: Database Discovery – Health Science

THE UNIQUE IMPACT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC ON PREDOCTORAL GEROPSYCHOLOGY TRAINING: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE FIELD

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic impacted predoctoral psychology training at the graduate, practicum, and internship levels including a greater reliance on telehealth and evolving learning needs. However its unique impact on geropsychology training has not been explored. The Building Bridges workgroup for predoctoral training faculty levels, we describe opportunities and barriers to address evolving geropsychology training needs during the pandemic as determined through working group discussion. Negative impacts to training identified include: decreased opportunities for 1) face-to-face patient care and 2) telehealth care due to disparities in telehealth access and utilization in older adults. Other impacts on the geropsychology pipeline include declining opportunities to see older adults at practicum sites. Conversely, increased media attention to the impact of COVID on older adults’ physical and mental health may lead to graduate students’ having greater interest in geriatric mental health and reinforcing a geropsychology career. Recommendations for training programs to address the long-term ramifications of the pandemic will be offered.

Advancing Preservice Consultation Training Through University-Community Partnership

ABSTRACT This paper describes consultation training experiences offered through a decades-long partnership between a university school psychology graduate program and a local Head Start center. The collaboration provides a field placement setting where beginning students engage in activities tied to first-year coursework, and an advanced practicum site for doctoral students who oversee first-year students’ classroom-based activities and in turn are jointly supervised by program faculty and the center’s Special Services Manager. Through these experiences, graduate students develop competencies in client-centered, consultee-centered, and systems-level consultation, with opportunities to engage in an array of activities aligned with key updates to the 2020 NASP Professional Standards particularly in Domains Six (Services to Support Safe and Supportive Schools), Seven (Family, School, and Community Collaboration), and Eight (Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations). By focusing on the school environment, community collaboration, social justice, and equitable practices, these updated domains highlight the role of ecological and systemic factors in school psychology practice and training. Trainees support the center’s efforts to function as a trauma-informed organization whose members recognize and respond to trauma in a manner that promotes safety, collaboration, empowerment, and other trauma-informed practice principles. They do this by consulting with parents and teachers, contributing to staff professional development on such topics as adverse childhood experiences and caregiver stress management, and facilitating meetings with parents and teachers around issues such as trauma-informed discipline. We discuss how these activities align with the 2020 NASP domains, with particular attention to ecological and systemic perspectives.

MFT Trainee Experiences of Shame, Self-Criticism, and Self-Compassion in Their First Practicum

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of MFT trainee shame, self-criticism, and self-compassion. Additionally, this study also sought to understand how those experiences may affect a trainee’s clinical work as a first-time practicum student. Interviews were conducted with 15 trainees in a graduate program who were performing therapy at a practicum site. Utilizing Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenology, six essential themes emerged: (1) shame and self-criticism are interrelated and can affect therapeutic presence; (2) self-criticism can have a positive impact on clinical work; (3) trainees use metaphors to describe shame and self-criticism (4) self-compassion is an antidote to shame and self-criticism; (5) support from others is helpful to manage shame and self-criticism; and (6) graduate training on shame, self-criticism, and self-compassion was more implicit than explicit. A discussion of these findings, including recommendations for future research, training, and limitations are explored.

Factors affecting production of competent health workforce in Tanzanian health training institutions: a cross sectional study

BackgroundIn 2008, the government of Tanzania adopted a competency-based education and training (CBET) system to improve medical training. Yet there are still frequent observations of competency deficits among graduates, suggesting that the goal has not sufficiently been met. This study was designed to assess the underlying context of competency deficits in the health workforce in Tanzania and to provide recommendations for improvement.MethodsA cross-sectional study using document analysis and focus groups was carried out in 13 training institutions that provided a diploma course in clinical medicine. The research team assessed availability and adequacy of instructors, physical resources and the process and systemic factors that impact curriculum implementation outcomes.ResultsSix (46%) institutions had 75% or more of their teaching staff not trained in curriculum delivery and instructional methods. Seven (54%) institutions had lower instructor-students ratio than recommended (1:25). Overall, the full-time instructors in all institutions constituted only 44% of the teaching staff. Although all institutions had an adequate number of classrooms, the rooms were of small size with dilapidated walls, and had inadequate number of desks/ seats for students. Clinical skills laboratories existed in 11 (85%) institutions, but the majority were of small size, and were not fully equipped as per guidelines and were rarely used. Libraries were available in 12 (92%) institutions but five had seating capacities of 10% or less of the available students. Participants of focus group discussion in the majority of the institutions reported inadequate time allocated for practice and support from the clinical instructors at the practicum sites. Six (46%) institutions had no functioning governing/advisory boards and five (38%) lacked quality assurance policies and implementation plans.ConclusionsCurrently, health-training institutions in Tanzania are ill-equipped to produce competent clinicians because of major gaps in the structural, process and systemic components. These findings call for major investment to facilitate production of a competent health workforce.

Use of Private, Parochial, and Public Schools in Baccalaureate Nursing Programs for Pediatric Practicum.

Clinical sites are increasingly difficult to secure due to shorter hospital stays, increased clinical site competition, and limited practicum sites. Little is known about the use of schools for pediatric clinical practicum. To explore utilization of private, parochial, and public primary and secondary schools for pediatric clinical practicum sites. Faculty (n = 108) completed a 38-item online survey. Twenty-seven faculty members (25%) reported using schools for pediatric practicum. Most nursing students (85.1%) spent 23 total hours or less in schools obtaining anthropometric measurements, reviewing immunizations, and providing health education to children, parents, and teachers. Using schools for the pediatric practicum is thought to be a common practice; our findings suggest otherwise. School-based practicums provide students with skills beyond acute care competencies. Nursing faculty need to seriously consider which pediatric clinical settings provide the best experience to prepare future nurses.

Apprenticing for Equity Literacy Teaching: A Needed Change in Teacher Education

Grounded by critical race and landscapes of practice perspectives, this study examined teacher candidates who were asked to use equity as a lens to describe students’ literacy learning opportunities in their practicum sites. Analysis of this writing revealed wide variation in candidates’ participation, including a group who regularly noticed equitable/inequitable literacy teaching practices and structures and discussed how they would resist/change those they considered inequitable and a group that primarily overlooked these reflective opportunities. Follow-up interviews with two candidates revealed their different equity stances. Study findings can be used to reconceptualize literacy practice to help candidates identify and challenge policies and ideas that sustain inequity.

Public Library-Based Social Work Field Placements: Guidance for Public Libraries Planning to Become a Social Work Practicum Site

ABSTRACT Public libraries are increasingly faced with patron psychosocial needs, including mental health problems, substance use, homelessness, or poverty-related needs. Since library staff are often not trained to address these needs, many are choosing to host on-site social work practicum students to provide information and referrals for patrons presenting with psychosocial needs. However, little existing guidance is available about initiating a social work practicum placement, which can leave libraries unprepared and often “reinventing the wheel.” This manuscript provides guidance on the steps that should be considered by libraries intending to host their first social work practicum student.

Contextualisation of Early and Enhanced Clinical Exposure Model through Development of Curricula for Advanced Practice Nursing and Midwifery.

An Advanced Practice Nurse is a generalist or specialized nurse who has acquired thorough graduate education a minimum of a master's degree. The need for Advanced Practice Nurses is increasingly recognized globally. This paper describes the process, which was undertaken by School of Nursing Sciences, University of Zambia in reviewing and developing advanced practice nursing and midwifery curricula which will be implemented using the Early and Enhanced Clinical Exposure model (EECE). The curricula development/review process utilized a modified Taba's Model which followed a step-by-step approach including: 1) desk review, 2) diagnosis of needs (needs assessment), 3) stakeholder consultations, 4) content development, 5) validations and approval from which several lessons were learnt and recommendations made. Findings and recommendations from different stages were used as a basis for reviewing and developing advanced practice nursing and midwifery curricula. Desk review needs assessment and stakeholder consultations identified both strengths and weaknesses in the existing curricula. Major strengths were duration and core courses which met the minimum requirement for postgraduate nursing and midwifery training. Major weaknesses/gaps included some content that was too basic for the master's level and the delayed exposure to practicum sites which limited the development of advanced practice skills. Others were inadequate competence for advanced practice, inadequate research methodology course, lack of content to foster development of personal soft skills and predominant use of traditional teaching methods. Stakeholders recommended implementing advanced, clinical and hands-on Masters of Nursing and Midwifery programmes which resulted in the review of four existing and development of five demand-driven curricula. The reviewed and developed curricula were strengthened to close the identified gaps. Both the reviewed and developed curricula have been implemented using the Early and Enhanced Clinical Exposure Model with a view to producing Advanced Practice Nurses and Midwives who are competent to meet diverse health care needs and contribute to improving patient outcomes.

A-188 Starting Well: Creating Training Opportunities for Graduate Students Interested in Neuropsychological Assessment

Abstract Objective Practicum experiences are critical to internship readiness. While established guidelines for practicum training in clinical neuropsychology exist, the application of such guidelines across training sites has received little attention. The objective of this study is to compare practicum training models across different sites. Methods We surveyed training supervisors regarding the cost and benefit of training practicum students in their setting. Results Despite wide variability across settings, results indicated that on average, practicum sites spent around 6 hours per week in direct active training and onboarding during the first 1–3 months of the training year. After 3–4 months, the hours spent on supervision decreased to about 1–2 hours of individual supervision and 1–2 hours of group supervision per week. By the 8th month, each practicum student provided the clinic with approximately 36 hours of direct service (considered an administrative benefit to the clinic). Conclusion Training practicum students is a labor of love, with overall net administrative benefits to the clinic. An advantage was seen in settings with multiple trainees, trainees at multiple levels, and tiered supervision models with access to diverse didactic experiences.