#NAEMSE09 Preceptor Prompting During Field Internship
Bruce Nepon presented Field Internship – if you build it they will come at the National Association of EMS Educators conference. Bruce is a well recognized expert in the selection, training, and supervision of preceptors and the author of the acclaimed book, Field Training Officer: Tips and Techniques
A prompt is any time the preceptor needs to guide the student to perform an assessment or treatment action. A prompt needs to be discreet, meaning it does not alert the patient that a correction has just been made. Keeping it discreet helps the patient continue to trust the student’s ability. Bruce described two types of prompts:
Verbal prompts are a question to the student from the preceptor. For example a preceptor could ask “What did you want me to set the oxygen flow rate?” This leading question would remind the student to direct the preceptor to being oxygen therapy with the proper device and flow rate.
A non-verbal prompt is a pre-arranged gesture from the preceptor student to perform an assessment or intervention. For example squeezing their own upper arm is a non-verbal prompt from the preceptor to the student to assess the patient’s blood pressure. Touching the mid-clavicular line, like a baseball coach, is a reminder to listen to lung sounds.
Student performance is scored on how many prompts they were given by their preceptor during the patient contact. Bruce also described the use of time limits. Students are expected to perform specific interventions and assessments in prescribed time limits.
Special: Listen to Bruce discuss field preceptorship on Episode 20 of the EMSEduCast – the podcast by and for EMS Educators
How do you use prompts and time limits during field preceptorship for EMT and Paramedic students?
Related posts:
- #NAEMSE09 Keeping in Touch with Preceptors
- #NAEMSE09 Designing Critical Thinking Exams
- #NAEMSE09 Readiness for Distance Learning
Tags: EMSEduCast, NAEMSE, Preceptor, Students, training
