A novel approach to promoting change in SHO training in a dental teaching hospital

Abstract

An action research study using a series of staged focus groups with senior house officers (SHOs) and educational supervisors (ES) was used to identify the perceptions of the strengths and challenges in the SHO training programme and to indicate areas for improvement.The basic findings were not entirely surprising, with SHOs wanting more detailed feedback from educational supervisors and educational supervisors challenged (by time constraints and competing clinical and research responsibilities) in meeting the expectations of the SHOs. However the novel approach of using staged focus groups enhanced the educational supervisors' perception of the SHOs' view of their training and the SHOs' perception of the challenges faced by educational supervisors. Thus a culture of dialogue was created which supported change and innovation.This process was able to directly inform and influence the development of a new induction programme for SHOs and provide valuable insight into the use of the portfolio of learning and the provision of study opportunities. These findings may only be of local interest, however the method employed can be transferred to other contexts to support a grass roots approach to change. Indeed, since this study has been completed, the method has been replicated in a medical setting. 1

An appraisal of the quality of published qualitative dental research

“…Finally, 43 qualitative research papers (21–63) on dental topics were appraised, 18 were from nondental journals. Twenty‐one studies (48%) had a dental public health focus.…”

Education in the workplace

“…This can be offered in the form of weekly meetings, liaising with other staff, investigating study leave budgets and regular email contact. It is important to allow the supervisee to take responsibility for self‐directed learning, away from ‘trainer directed learning’, without the burden of an additional workload. It is also important to promote self‐care and evaluate the supervisee's ‘psychological fitness and professional competence’, a process which will inevitably require additional time and attention.…”

Senior house officer training in oral and maxillofacial surgery: a national survey

“…It would seem that a significant number of educational supervisors are either unaware of their responsibilities, or are simply not supporting their trainees. Clark et al, (2002) recognised that educational supervisors had problems meeting the expectations of SHOs. They identified the challenge of time constraints and clinical and research responsibilities experienced by educational supervisors.…”