Clinical Faculty Development

The Clinical Education (CE) Faculty are assessed during and following the completion of each clinical experience. Clinical Education Faculty Development is provided by the program’s DCE upon assessed need for development based on information obtained through the midterm visit evaluation as well as information obtained at the end of each clinical experience. The DCE provides new clinical educators the APTA Guidelines and Self-Assessments for Clinical Education prior to student placement. Clinical Education Faculty members will be provided with either individual or collective Faculty Development Plans dependent on the number of clinical educators requiring development. Individual development plans involve one-on-one training sessions with the DCE (and SCCE depending on the magnitude of development required) as needed. The DCE and the Program Director will coordinate to offer APTA/FPTA-approved Continuing Competency courses or other educational/informational courses to clinical educators that enhance the development of the clinical education program.

Procedure

• The DCE will receive the Student Clinical Experience Site Confirmation document from the SCCE with demographics related to the CI assigned to the student prior to initiation of the clinical experience.
• The DCE verifies the CI designated by the SCCE meets the standards set by FNU for clinical education faculty as stated in the policy “Clinical Instructors” in the PTA Program Manual and Clinical Education Handbook.
  • If the CI does not meet the standards, the DCE will notify the SCCE for assignment of a different CI to the student.
  • If another qualified CI is unavailable, the student will be placed at a different location or site.
• Prior to the midterm visit, the DCE will confirm the information from the Clinical Experience Student Confirmation and the Student Clinical Experience Site Confirmation information match and no changes in CI assignment have occurred.
• The DCE consults individually with both the student and CI during a midterm visit evaluation which occurs during the third or fourth week of each clinical experience. The Clinical Practicum Midterm Visit handbook along with the midterm CPI are used to assess CI clinical competence at this time.
  • Any areas of weakness identified at this time will be addressed by the DCE and a CE faculty development plan will be created.
  • In the event of a severe issue, the SCCE will be notified. Together, the DCE and SCCE will develop a CE faculty development plan.
• The DCE assesses all evaluation tools at the completion of each clinical experience. The assessment tools include:
  • Final CPI Evaluation
  • PTA Student Evaluation: Clinical Experience and Clinical Instruction
  • CI Self-Assessment Form
  • Clinical Site Survey
  • Student Survey
• If a CI receives less than “4=Agree” on more than 3 of the 21 criteria on the Assessment of Clinical Instruction in the “PTA Student Evaluation: Clinical Experience and Clinical Instruction,” the CI and SCCE will be contacted and a Clinical Faculty Development Plan will be initiated. The DCE will provide information on CE courses and other resources to satisfy the needs of the CI or CE faculty.
• If multiple CI’s fail to meet the standards at one location either concurrently or consecutively, the DCE and Program Director will coordinate to provide an in-service at the University related to improving clinical and/or educational competence and becoming an effective clinical instructor. If the areas of concern are unable to be corrected or if the CE faculty refuses to participate in the faculty development process, the program may consider removing the site from their list of approved clinical affiliation locations.