Top Tips for Clinical Assessments - Assessors
By Jacqueline Tyler, University of Cumbria
Clinical assessments can be a daunting experience for assessors and students alike, but they are an essential part of ensuring that our students are ready for clinical practice. Here are my 5 top tips for clinical assessors:
1. Get organised
Despite our best intentions, things often ‘go to pot’ on the day of assessments, patients don’t arrive on time, or at all, or someone calls in sick. Try to be one step ahead and have reserve patients on another sonographer’s list that you can potentially take if needed. Make sure that appointments are appropriately spaced to allow time to discuss the scan and fill in and paperwork. Ensure that the paperwork is printed and ready to go in advance. Make sure the room is stocked and ready.
2. Communicate
Make sure the necessary people in the department know that an assessment is taking place and in which room. This will help to avoid interruptions or distracting noise in the corridors. You could even print a sign for the door.
3. Know your paperwork
Many trusts now train through more than one university or via different pathways, whilst they will all have similar expectations, there may be some differences. Make sure you review the paperwork in advance and are clear on the expectations of the students. A good way to practice this is with formative assessments.
4. Be the calm in the storm
Your student will likely be anxious on the day of their assessment. Be a calming influence for them. If you appear stressed because a patient is late, etc, it will likely enhance the student’s feelings of anxiety or pressure. Be as calm as possible, and hopefully this will filter down to your student.
5. Debrief
Regardless of the outcome, take time at the end of the assessment to debrief. Talk to your student about what they did well and where they can make improvements for future practice or future assessments. Take the time to go through the paperwork with the student and explain the decisions you have made. This will also allow you to check that the forms have been fully completed. It is always good to add additional comments if there is space – it is nice for the academic team to see when a student has done particularly well or be aware of what they need to improve on for next time.