University of Texas Medical BranchDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences

HONORS PRECEPTORSHIP INFORMATION

Eligibility:
Students in advanced standing, who are graduates of a nationally accredited MLT/CLT program, and have passed a nationally recognized MLT/CLT certifying examination, may register for honors preceptorships, CLLS 4305, 4306, 4307 and 4308.

Scheduling:

The four honors preceptorships may be scheduled at any time during the program, after the didactic courses for the discipline have been successfully completed. For instance, the microbiology preceptorship may be scheduled after CLLS 4325, Advanced Microbiology has been successfully completed.

The course number of the preceptorship designates the sequence of the course in the program. So CLLS 4305 is the first honors preceptorship, whether it is hematology, chemistry, microbiology or immunohematology.

The time requirement for each of the four preceptorships is 2 weeks. Students may reduce the time requirement for psychomotor skills by documenting work experience at their place of employment. If clinical experience cannot be documented at the place of employment, the student can request a date and time to be sent to a UTMB CLS clinical affiliate.

In the event a student cannot commit to the preceptorship rotation to which they are assigned, he/she may withdraw or take an incomplete. The incomplete must be completed by the end of the next semester.

A student may elect to take an additional two week Special/Research Preceptorship. This preceptorship must be arranged well in advance. The purpose of this special preceptorship is to give students and opportunity to enhance and enrich their clinical experience and/or pursue special interests or skills.

In most cases, the student will report to the clinical preceptorship supervisor at 8:00 am Monday of first preceptorship or at a time designated by the clinical site. In most areas, the period of assignment is Monday through Friday; 8:00 am to 4:30 p.m. with 30 minutes for lunch (varies from department to department). This schedule may be changed at the discretion of the clinical preceptorship supervisor. Any time a student is assigned to an area, adequate supervision must be assured.

Procedure for Requesting a Reduced Time Preceptorship

If the student is requesting reduced time for the preceptorship on the basis of work experience, the work experience must be documented. Print the objectives and skills checklist found on the Blackboard CLLS Preceptorship ODL. Ask the clinical supervisor to sign those items on the checklist which the student has completed through work experience and indicate the name and location of the facility on the checklist. The completed checklist should be scanned and submitted onto Blackboard Preceptorship ODL course. Also, the clinical supervisor must write a letter documenting the experience the student obtained was completed at the level of MT/CLS work experience. This information must be completed before the end of the semester. To receive a PASS grade for a clinical preceptorship, the student must complete the Self Study Guide and successfully pass the online exam.

If the student cannot obtain work experience, he/she may request specific sites from the list of facilities affiliated with the UTMB program (list resides on the Student Info web site).

Attendance

Students not doing work experience are expected to attend all preceptorship days as assigned during the times scheduled. Students are assigned for a period of 8 hours per day with a break for lunch and other breaks as designated by the facility.

Students will follow the holiday schedule of the Clinical Facility

In the event of absence from the preceptorship:

  • Send an email to:
  • Preceptorship supervisor of the department at the hospital assigned (see contact information sheet)
  • Education Coordinatorassociated with UTMB CLS program
  • In the event email is not available, the student must notify the preceptorship supervisor by phone call or other means. The student will follow up with emails to the Clinical Coordinator.

In the event of late arrival:

If a student is unavoidably detained in arriving at the clinical site at the assigned time, the clinical coordinator andpreceptorship supervisor (or designee) must be notified as early as is possible, preferably before the start of the shift.

  • If possible, send an email as above.
  • If not possible:
  • Call the Preceptorship supervisor at the department at the hospital assigned (see contact information sheet)
  • Follow up with an email to UTMB CLS Clinical Coordinator when practical.

In the event of unexcused absence/failure to notify preceptorship supervisor of late arrival:

Unexcused absence or failure to notify the preceptorship supervisor of late arrival may result in rescheduling the Preceptorship at the convenience of the clinical site or at another affiliation.

Assignments and Evaluation:

The psychomotor and cognitive objectives for each preceptorship will direct the activities of that preceptorship. The student should print off the checklist and maintain the objectives with them throughout the preceptorship. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the completed Psychomotor Performance Evaluation (PPE) from the clinical supervisor. The student will submit the completed PPE to the UTMB CLS clinical coordinator at the end of the rotation. Practicals and quizzes may given by the clinical preceptorship supervisor at the preceptorships as deemed necessary to evaluate completion of the psychomotor checklist items.

The Affective checklists are part of the gradefor each clinical rotation. Formative evaluations of affective objectives will occur throughout the preceptorship.

Pass/Fail for each preceptorship is determined by the activities listed in the syllabus.

Confidentially

Patient information will be available to students during the preceptorship. Students must follow the HIPAA policy of the clinical facility.

Safety

Students must follow the safety policy of the clinical facility.

Dress Code

During Clinical Preceptorships:

  1. Scrubs may be worn during clinical preceptorships (Royal Blue scrubs cannot be worn at the St. Joseph’s Facility)
  2. Jeans and shorts will not be worn during clinical preceptorships
  3. Tank top, tee shirt or any shirt with advertising or slogans will not be worn during preceptorships
  4. Shoes that protect the entire foot including the toe and heel should be worn
  5. Mini skirts (greater than 2 inches above the knee) will not be worn
  6. Students will wear appropriate undergarments
  7. Hair should be secured/contained if hair is a danger to being caught in any machinery or fall into biohazardous material.Beards, mustaches and other facial hair must be kept well-trimmed and clean.Hair should not obstruct vision.
  8. Jewelry may present a hazard and should not be worn in the laboratory.
  9. Students are expected to maintain proper hygiene.

Students will adhere to all policies of the clinical preceptorships, including dress code. In the event facilities haveless stringent policies than the policies stated in this document, students will be expected to follow the guidelines asoutlined in this document.

Personal Electronic Devises

While they are useful and convenient tools for the student, personal electronic devices can be a source of distraction for others and a potential temptation towards unethical behaviour when used inappropriately and/or unprofessionally during a student’s learning experience. Personal electronic devices are defined as electronic, portable, entertainment, communication, and/or information storage devices.

These devices include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Cellular phones
  • Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
  • Laptop and handheld computers
  • Media players (includes MP3 players, audio & video players, etc.)

The use of personal electronic devices during graded activities, including clinical preceptorships, is prohibited unless explicitly authorized by the instructor, with the following possible exceptions:

  • Use of cellular phones may be permitted for emergency contact purposes if pre-arranged with the instructor prior to the start of the activity
  • Personal electronic devices may not be used under these exceptions for the purpose of non-emergency communication or entertainment.

Resolving Problems:

If a student encounters difficulties during a rotation, he/she should discuss the problem with the immediate clinical supervisor. If the problem is not resolved, the student should consult the UTMB CLS clinical coordinator. If the student feels the situation warrants, a factual written report should be submitted to the Chair of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

The immediate supervisor should discuss any deficiencies or difficulties with a student at the time they are identified. If the problem persists, it should be reported to the clinical coordinator. The clinical coordinator will submit a factual record of each report in writing to the Chair of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Upon receiving a written report from a student or clinical coordinator, the Chairwill seek a resolution to the problem. Should a student wish to appeal the decision reached, he or she should follow the Grievance Policy of SAHS as stated in the UTMB General Catalog. The Grading Behavior Policy is in force during Preceptorship.

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Reviewed 5/2013