The role of the educational supervisor

Abstract

Aims and MethodsA postal questionnaire of all pre-membership psychiatric trainees in the West Midlands was used to investigate the role of the educational supervisor. The trainees were asked about their experience of educational supervision, and also asked to rank a number of possible roles for their supervisor in order of importance.ResultsA response rate of 70% was achieved. Trainees rated regular appraisal and assessment of skills and deficits as the most important role of the educational supervisor, but had only experienced this in 55% of their training posts thus far. Less than half of the respondents had developed a written educational plan with their educational supervisors, and trainees rated this the least important task of good educational supervision.Clinical ImplicationsThe results of this survey inform the training agenda for trainers, and emphasise the need to equip consultants with the skills to appraise their trainee's educational development.

Paediatric specialist registrars' views of educational supervision and how it can be improved: a questionnaire study

“…Understand the individual needs of the trainee (7) . Be encouraging (7) . Meet regularly and set specific time periods to re-assess and review objectives (6) .…”

“…The other study, of 103 senior house officers in psychiatry, rated 'regular appraisal and assessment of skills and deficits as the most important role of the educational supervisor.' 7 Neither of these two studies was as detailed about the practicalities of educational supervision as our study was and neither study investigated how the trainees thought that the process could be improved. In our study, advice for improving educational supervision was provided by trainees working in just one part of the UK.…”

“…5 However, we have been able to find just two studies that have specifically concerned trainees' views of their educational supervision. 6,7 One of these studies was of 21 specialist registrars (and 43 consultants) in occupational medicine in the Armed Forces. 6 The authors reported that the trainees and consultants were in broad agreement about the purpose and most important elements of educational supervision: 'monitor SpR progress, support to SpR and identify SpR 377…”

“…Give guidance in objective setting (9) . Understand the individual needs of the trainee (7) . Be encouraging (7) .…”

Systemic thinking in practice: a remedy for trainees' team-working dilemmas?

“…Undoubtedly, the one-to-one relationship with the educational supervisor remains a primary source of learning for every junior doctor, and, as such, it has been a subject of interest over the years (Cottrell, 1999;King, 1999;Day & Brown, 2000;Sembhi & Livingston, 2000); however, the collaboration with other members of multidisciplinary teams can be an invaluable opportunity for professional and personal development.…”