Preceptor Responsibilities

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Responsibilities for Preceptors, the Program and the Students

 

Preceptor Responsibilities:  

• Orient the student, at the onset of the rotation, with respect to policies and procedures at all clinical sites where students will accompany the Preceptor and with which students are expected to comply. 
• Provide student with an orientation of the clinical facility in which hazards, exposures, and emergency responses will be reviewed. 
• Review with the students the expectations and objectives for the rotation in an effort to develop a strategic plan for attainment of these. 
• Provide the student with an appropriate clinical environment and a variety of patient encounters which enable the student to meet the program’s objectives (as provided by Program). A minimum of 36hrs/week participation in clinical activities is expected. 
• Provide the opportunity and guidance for clinical learning experience and education by allowing students to actively participate in patient care under appropriate supervision and by delegating increasing levels of responsibility for clinical assessment and management as skills develop.  However, Preceptor must retain full responsibility of the patient’s care. 
• Recognize that the student is a learner and ensure that students do not render patient care beyond the realm of educational value and as permitted by professional standards. 
• Understand that physician assistant students must not be used as a substitute for clinical or administrative staff  and must be identified as Austin College PA students at all times during their supervised clinical practice experience. 
• Review and co-sign all student documentation and charting.  If a student is unable to directly document on the patient’s chart or enter the data in the electronic health record, Preceptors should require the student to write up their note on plain paper and review it for accuracy and appropriateness. 
• Allow time for teaching activities. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as structured teaching rounds, chart review periods, reading assignments or informal consultations between patient encounters and/or recommending specific conferences. It is expected that the Preceptor will model, expose students to, and teach in accordance with current practice guidelines and the accepted standards of care. 
• Provide the students and program faculty with ongoing and constructive feedback regarding clinical performance of the student including timely submission of the Final Preceptor evaluation. 
• Permit visits of the Program faculty purposes of ascertaining that course learning outcomes for the clinical experience are being met. 
• Maintain current license(s) related to the area of instruction as required by the profession and state in which the Preceptor practices.   
• Inform the Director of Experiential Learning and Remediation (DEL) if he/she will be taking a vacation of one week or greater while supervising a student. Student supervision may be delegated to another licensed healthcare provider at that site during the period of absence with Program approval. 
• Promptly notify the DEL of any significant deficiencies identified or issues of professional conduct that might diminish the overall learning experience. 

•  Initiate access to emergency medical care for students in the event of injury or illness (Preceptor shall not be responsible for the cost of such care). 
• Make clinical site safety and security policies available to all students. 

 Program Responsibilities:  

• Prepare students for the clinical phase of their education. 
• Ensure Criminal Background and Sex Offender (CBSO) checks and drug screens are completed by all students as requested by the clinical rotation sites at a cost incurred by the students. 
• Ensure each student has completed training in OSHA and HIPAA prior to beginning clinical rotations and that all students have received instruction regarding risk of exposure and reporting procedures should an exposure occur. 
• Identify quality clinical rotation sites and Preceptors dedicated to providing an optimal clinical education experience. 
• Develop and maintain affiliation agreements with all clinical rotation sites. 
• Orient Preceptors and students to the policies and procedures of the clinical phase of the program. 
• Ensure that all students have current health insurance and up-to-date immunizations. 
• Ensure all students maintain up-to-date CPR and ACLS certification prior to the start of the clinical phase of the program. 
• Forward to Preceptors in a timely manner information regarding number of students scheduled for rotations including rotation beginning/end dates and any documentation they may require.  
• Inform the Preceptor of course learning outcomes and instructional objectives and supply student evaluation materials. 
• Review all components used for evaluation of clinical rotations and maintain responsibility for the assignment of the final grade for each student for all clinical rotations. 
• Maintain open and easily accessible lines of communication between Preceptor and Program faculty. 
• Respond to questions and/or concerns from the Preceptor or student in a timely manner. 

 Student Responsibilities:  

• Comply with all site-specific requirements and policies pertaining to all clinical sites at which they are assigned.  
• Maintain open communication with the Preceptor, including eliciting and accepting feedback regarding clinical performance and areas for improvement.   
• Successfully complete the requirements of the rotation outlined in the course syllabus. It is not possible nor expected that the student be exposed to each entity or problem listed during their rotations; however, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure knowledge about all the objectives for each SCPE. 
• Act professionally in the clinical setting including: wearing proper identification, complying with dress code standards, and conducting oneself with professional and ethical demeanor at all times. 
• Report to the clinical site on time (early), fully prepared to work with all necessary equipment (i.e. stethoscope), and ready to learn and work with the Preceptor and other members of the health care team. 
• Meet with the Preceptor at the beginning of the SCPE and periodically throughout the assigned time to discuss mutual goals and expectations for the rotation. 
• Identify oneself as an Austin College PA student and elicit permission from the patient to participate in their care. 
• Be aware of their limitations as students and of the limitations and regulations pertaining to PA practice. Students at clinical sites must always work under the supervision of a Preceptor. They may not function in the place of an employee or assume primary responsibility for a patient’s care. 
• Contact the Program immediately with any questions or concerns about the student’s role at a site. Students shall not treat and discharge a patient from care without the patient being seen by the clinical Preceptor. All patients must be seen by a licensed provider PRIOR to leaving the facility. 
• Accrue the number of hours for each rotation required by the program and to be sensitive to the schedule of the clinical site/Preceptor.  Students are expected to work nights, weekends and be on-call if required by the clinical rotation site/Preceptor. 
• Attend and participate in all return to campus activities at the end of each rotation.  Students must arrive on time and stay for the entire day. 
• Report all blood/bodily fluid exposure(s) to their Preceptor and/or any hospital personnel (if instructed by the Preceptor) immediately.  Students are to complete any Notice of Incidence report in use at the clinical site. Students should notify the DEL as soon as possible after the incident has been properly evaluated according to site protocol. Students are expected to adhere to the Post-Exposure Protocol and reporting requirements which can be found in the Austin College PA Program Clinical Phase Handbook.  
• Provide the program with current and accurate contact information including address and phone number.  Should the student be in a location where there is limited cell phone or computer access, the student must inform the Program and provide and alternate, reliable contact phone number.