7.2 Experiences in working with learners
7.2.3 Working with learners
Even assuming that the paramedic has a certain level experience and has undergone appropriate preparation to perform the preceptor role, the move from paramedic to paramedic preceptor working with learners early in the career can be daunting, as Darren outlined:
[I was] extremely daunted. So I thought I knew how to do a job, how to be a paramedic, but it was quite different. Extremely different in trying to translate that to a conscious imparting of knowledge or
understanding to a student. (Darren)
Participants emphasised the benefit of working with learners in enabling paramedics to maintain their preparedness for the preceptor role. Richard for example, described
131 how working with learners early in his career helped him consolidate his own clinical knowledge:
You know I was able to take a whole lot of stuff that didn't make a lot of sense to me at the time, and it wasn't much then, you know. A small amount of knowledge. And it [working with learners] grew me as well. So because in sharing that [knowledge], it reinforced it. (Richard) This was reinforced by Tanya, who discussed the challenges of the dichotomy in learning and settling into both the role of a paramedic as well as working out how to teach on the job and aid someone else in learning the role of a paramedic:
it’s been a good learning experience for me to try and figure out how to teach in itself and be a role model but also good to start teaching other people and you know, get confidence in myself that I do know stuff and I do have something to share. So that’s probably what I think of the most I guess because I’m new to it [being a preceptor] so it’s a learning experience for me as well… (Tanya)
Tanya went on to speak of the affirmation she gained from being a preceptor, gaining confidence in her paramedic capabilities while also developing her capabilities as a paramedic:
I would say something else that would be important to me is just in general when I can teach people things and see them improve, it’s been quite good for me as a new paramedic to build my confidence and go “Yes, I can do this.” When I first got a student I thought far out, I still feel like a student myself, am I ready for this, do I still need a preceptor. It was quite good to get some faith in myself that I do know
132 what I’m doing and I can make the right choices at work and help
other people to do that as well. (Tanya)
Participants also described the need to continually maintain their clinical knowledge in order to keep up with the knowledge levels of their learners. Paul explained this with regard to working with university students:
It was great because it sharpens your own skills, because if you are going to talk to someone that is going through uni you know their technical knowledge is usually pretty good and a lot of the preceptor stuff I have found is passing on the practical skills that they don’t possess, so yeah it sharpens me up a bit as well as passing on some stuff to them. (Paul)
Participants reported achieving this knowledge maintenance and improvement by attempting to gain access to the materials their assigned learner was studying at that point in time, allowing them to update their knowledge currency. This is of particular value for those preceptors who completed the vocational program themselves, and who were then required to precept university students. Being able to maintain this level of currency is subject to challenges, with participants reporting not being provided with notice of the impending arrival of their learners, thereby preventing meeting them before they commenced their learning experience. As will be highlighted in Section 8.2.6, preceptors are also faced with a wide range of learners studying a range of courses and at varying levels of progress through these courses. Even when considering undergraduate entry level programs in paramedicine, there is wide variation in what is expected of a student at each level across education providers. As Roger outlined, even a day or so of forewarning is sometimes enough for experienced paramedics to be able to refresh their knowledge and prepare themselves before a student arrives:
133 if they said to me you’re going to start working with them [the
learner] today or tomorrow, no problems, ok, let’s go into it and if there is particular things that I need to learn that we can talk about then I’ll do that as we go or whatever but I know now that I’ve got enough clinical experience, enough nous about how to do the job that I will have something to contribute almost from the first job with most people. (Roger)
It is apparent from the data analysis that just as experience plays a part in rounding out a paramedic’s clinical preparedness, experience in working with learners also plays a part in building their capability for the preceptor role. While this does not compensate for the lack of any structured program for preparing paramedics to work with learners, it does assist in building preceptor confidence, as Chris and Brian explained:
I think that, yeah, now I'm better than before just because I've worked with a few students now and I sort of clued in on what needs to get done, what doesn't need to get done. And just I think I'm a bit more better at reading a student in their comfort level with certain things and what I can trust them to do and what I can't trust them to do. (Chris)
as you study more and you get wisdom in practice and wisdom in education I guess your techniques, attitude, your approach changes probably. (Brian)
Throughout this section I have outlined the data regarding paramedic experience and preparedness to work with learners, how paramedics prepare themselves for the role,
134 and how these two factors are affected by working with learners. The findings of this research indicate that paramedics are being required to undertake the preceptor role and work with learners at a very early stage in their career and that there are serious concerns as to the appropriateness of this expectation. It is also clear from the data analysis that minimal or substantively inadequate preparatory education or professional development is provided to paramedics prior to them being allocated a learner. Both of these findings highlight a lack of understanding within the profession of what is
required of paramedics working with learners, as discussed previously in Chapter 5. To address this gap in preparedness, paramedics themselves make use of a wide range of opportunities to develop themselves; from short courses, further education,
experiential and vicarious learning, much of which is unsupported by guidelines or direction from their employers or the profession.