Am I ready to provide a placement?

Don’t panic. If you have been practicing for more than one year, then it is certain that you will have gained skills, knowledge and experience that will be of interest and value to a student. Your clinical knowledge increases dramatically in the first 1-2 years of practice, so you can be confident that you have a lot to offer to students in addition to have clear memory of your own clinical placements.

Every clinician develops an approach to their work with their clients, colleagues and teams and also to learning and education, that is personal and unique. Similarly, the approach and communication style you take with student supervision will be unique, and may also be reflective of the student’s individual learning style. For more information regarding Adult Learning Styles, go to Part Three: Approaches to Clinical Education.

Nonetheless, it is very important that you are mindful of the general characteristics of clinical educators regarded highly by students when it comes to positive and effective supervision and also that you are aware of the important expectations that the University holds of clinical educators in providing Student Fieldwork clinical education. For more details, contact your university OT program clinical education staff to discuss.