Bossers, A., Hartley, M., & Gage, M.
The University of Western Ontario, July, 1997
The student as supervisor model if intended to serve two important purposes. The first is to generate more placement sites.It is hoped that students who learn and practice supervisory skills prior to becoming clinicians will be more likely to participate in fieldwork education following graduation. In this way, placement numbers may increase. In addition, if students are used as supervisors the demand on the therapist may decrease.
The models second, and perhaps more essential purpose, is to prepare students for the role of preceptor or fieldwork educator/supervisor. Fieldwork education is integral to the professional development of health care students and fieldwork educators are an essential part of the educational process.
The Student as Supervisor Manual provides a general overview of the placement set-up, describes the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder, and outlines strategies that facilitate the successful implementation of this model. Due to the small number of pilot placements from which the information in the manual is derived, the user should consider the manual to be a starting point rather than a complete guidebook. Further experience with the student as supervisor model will likely continue to generate new insights and strategies.