Benefits to the clinical educator

Benefits of being a clinical educator

Professional associations require practitioners to maintain their professional competence and continue to improve and update knowledge and skills. They also recognise the importance of practitioners’ contributions to clinical education. For example, Speech Pathology Australia binds each member to “Continually update and extend our professional knowledge and skills…” (Speech Pathology Australia, 2010) and “the Association views student supervision as a professional responsibility and strongly encourages members of the profession to embrace the benefits” (Speech Pathology Australia, 2005). Therefore, many practitioners feel a responsibility or obligation to the profession to take on the role of clinical educator.

However, becoming a clinical educator can also provide a number of benefits. You can grow and learn through the experience of having students, developing your clinical, communication, supervision and leadership skills. Some of the positive motivations for becoming a clinical educator include:

• continuing your learning by keeping you up to date with theories and evidence
• opportunity to reflect and explore your understanding of your own practice (e.g. explaining your conceptual maps integrating theory and practice can consolidate your understanding and interpretation)
• develops your clinical reasoning skills
• professional development of your clinical educator and professional supervision skills as well as interpersonal and communication skills
• personal satisfaction of facilitating student learning and development
• students can share your workload and/or offer additional services
• students can undertake research, quality assurance, literature reviews
• students can offer a different perspective or provide a sounding board to explore ideas
• students can develop resources or complete projects that you would like done
• students can bring a new energy to your existing team
• eligibility for continuing education or professional development accreditation points and career progression enhancement
• continuing relationship or connection with universities which may involve tangible rewards such as access to professional development, university library access, opportunities to participate in coursework teaching and research.

This list was compiled from: Bay & Courtney (2013, p.363); James Cook University (2011); McAllister & Lincoln (2004, p.27-28); QOTFC (2007); Thomas et al. (2007)