Final-year medical students need to know their future supervisory role of clinical associates

dc.contributor.authorKoortzen, Michiel
dc.contributor.authorBiggs, Lourens W.
dc.contributor.authorWolvaardt, Jacqueline Elizabeth (Liz)
dc.contributor.authorTurner, Astrid Chrisilda
dc.contributor.authorBac, Martin
dc.contributor.authorVolpe, Mark
dc.contributor.emailastrid.turner@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2021-04-01T13:41:12Z
dc.date.available2021-04-01T13:41:12Z
dc.date.issued2020-07-16
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND : A clinical associate (ClinA) is a mid-level health professional who may only practise under the supervision of a medical doctor. By extension, medical students need to be prepared for this responsibility. This study explored whether final-year medical students at one university were aware of this supervisory role, felt prepared and were knowledgeable about the ClinAs’ scope of practice. METHODS : A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted. The population included all final-year medical students who had completed their District Health and Community Obstetrics rotations (March to November 2017). After an end-of-rotation session, 151 students were given questionnaires to complete. A list of 20 treatments or procedures was extracted from the ClinAs’ gazetted scope of practice for a ‘knowledge test’. Data were analysed with Stata and Microsoft Excel. Ethical permission was granted. RESULTS : The response rate was 77.4% (n/N = 117/151). The majority of participants (76.1%, n = 86) had worked with a qualified or student ClinA before and had a generally positive impression (81.4%; n = 70). Almost half (47.8%; n = 56) thought that the ClinAs’ scope of work was similar to registered nurses rather than a doctor’s (38.2%; n = 44). Most were unaware that they would be required to supervise ClinAs once qualified (65.8%; n = 77). On average, participants identified 12 out of 20 treatments or procedures that a ClinA could perform. CONCLUSION : Despite having worked with ClinAs, participants appeared largely unaware of their future legal obligation of supervision. Adequate clinical supervision is based on the knowledge of the scope of practice, which was variable. Formal training on the scope of the work of ClinAs is needed to prepare future doctors for their supervisory role. Medical schools have an obligation to adequately prepare their students in this regard as part of their transformative education with elements of interprofessional education.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentFamily Medicineen_ZA
dc.description.departmentSchool of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH)en_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2021en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.safpj.co.zaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationKoortzen M, Biggs LW, Wolvaardt J, Turner A, Bac M, Volpe M. Final-year medical students need to know their future supervisory role of clinical associates. 2020;62(1), a5019. https://DOI.org/10.4102/safp.v62i1.5019.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2078-6190 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2078-6204 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/safp.v62i1.5019
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/79170
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherMedpharm Publications, NISC (Pty) Ltd and Cogent, Taylor and Francis Groupen_ZA
dc.rights© 2020. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectClinical supervisionen_ZA
dc.subjectDoctorsen_ZA
dc.subjectMedical studentsen_ZA
dc.subjectClinical associate (ClinA)en_ZA
dc.subjectMid-levelen_ZA
dc.subjectHealth professionalsen_ZA
dc.subject.otherHealth sciences articles SDG-03
dc.subject.otherSDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.subject.otherHealth sciences articles SDG-04
dc.subject.otherSDG-04: Quality education
dc.titleFinal-year medical students need to know their future supervisory role of clinical associatesen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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