NO: STATEMENT: SOUR C E:

18. _{Organisational tasks concerned with the}

FUTs teaching function are accorded most

importance by FUTs. _4.15

19. _{’Collaboration with management* is seen to}

be of little importance by a sizeable

minority of FUTs. _4.15

20. _{Minimal accommodation for a health visitor}

student (i.e. a desk) was available for th

majority of recently qualified HVs. 3 4.17

21. The majority of FUT informants had a sep­

arate room for tutorials with their studen although for some this meant waiting for colleagues to go visiting.

• * *

4.17

22. There is a general trend to place one

student uith one FUT during each academic

year. 4.20

23. Two students uith a FUT is seen to be help

ful for the students but as posing diffi­

culties for the FUT. 4.20

24. All FUTs receive minimal information (i.e.

name) regarding student health visitors before the commencement of the health

visitor course. 4.22

25. Items of important prior information were the student health visitor’s experience and qualifications, nationality and status

as a car owner/driver. 4.23 and4.24 26. The initial meeting between FUTs and their

students either in college or within the health authority was seen as generally

helpful. 4.26 and4.27

Ta b l e 5.6: e m p i r i c a l s t a t e m e n t s e m e r g e n t f r o m d a t a a n a l y s i s:

(continued) ORGANISATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE FIELOUORK TEACHER

ROLE.

PLACEMENT PATTERN: Generally, informants in the study sub-samples were

satisfied uith the pattern of placement days as they stood, uith most preferring the two days a week arrangement that was currently practised

uuxxwges in m e sruoy catchment sent their students out for one day a week: but although these students had the advantage of longer block periods, they felt that they were unable to follow up work started during that one day out. FUTs also felt that they had little time to discuss with the students issues which arose during a one day place­

ment; and these had to be ’carried through* to the next week. The

two-day period, although not entirely satisfactory, was better in the FUT’s eyes because it meant that the student had a chance to spread work across the two days, and work could be discussed a little more

fully. Placement days tended to be the same days each week, due to

timetabling difficulties in college if they were any different.

Several of the informants felt that a change of day each terra could be helpful in offering a student the opportunity to see health visiting

*in action’ on other days of the week. However, block study did help

in this respect: and on the whole offered time for a wids range of

experience for the health visitor student. Thus in general, it can

be seen that a regular weekly placement is desirable in facilitating continuity of work: and that two days a week is probably more helpful

than one day a week in this.respect* Experience in an alternative

setting (cf. Para. 5.6) was mentioned by some of the informants as being extremely useful to them: and it would appear that this should

continue to be offered during the health visitor c o u t b b*

5.14 COLLABORATION UITH NURSE MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING: The organisa­

tional tasks involved in fieldwork teaching centre around the planning and utilisation of resources for the creation of an effective learning

situation for a health visitor student. FUTs in the study sub-sample

saw those tasks which were more educationally-oriented as proportionally

-wxur, HU.™ nursing management regarding the planning of a student’s programme is considered as less important than some of the more educa­ tional aspects. This attitude of non-collaboration varies from health authority to health authority: and where there are fieldwork teacher groups, it would appear that nursing officers (as the fieldwork teacher’s immediate manager) are involved in planning and arranging specific

experience. However there are some authorities where the nursing officer may not be aware of the scope of the fieldwork teacher’s work; or may not herself hold a health visitor* s certificate. Difficulties can arise where the nursing officer is attempting to manage and support community staff in disciplines in which she has had no experience (13). Conversely, the work of the fieldwork teacher can be enhanced by

collaboration with a nursing officer who is sympathetic to her role- function (cf. Paras. 4.7 and 5.10). It would appear that in some

cases, with good will on both sides, the organisation of a student’s programme could be improved. The knowledge of available experience possessed by the nursing officer, together with the teaching skills of the fieldwork teacher(s), could provide the student(s) with a more varied and interesting programme than may currently be available to her/them.

5.15 ACCOMMODATION: The importance of adequate accommodation for students has already been discussed (cf. Paras. A.17 and 4.18): and it would appear that the majority of informants were able to offer, or were given, the basic furniture consisting of a desk (which may be

shared) and a chair, although some recently qualified HVs did not fare as well as this:

(13) HEALTH VISITORS’ ASSOCIATION (1981):

Health Visiting in the Eighties.