Improving the clinical instruction of student technologists

Many nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) are employed in departments affiliated with programs that prepare individuals to become NMTs. These departments are sites where students receive hands-on clinical experience. The NMTs who staff these departments serve as clinical instructors whose responsibilities include teaching students the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to become competent technologists. Clinical instructors often have no formal preparation in teaching or evaluating students. The purpose of this article is to review some principles related to teaching and critiquing clinical performance that will help clinical instructors support and foster the professional development of student technologists. After reading this article, the reader should be able to (a) identify the qualities of an effective clinical instructor, (b) identify the characteristics of constructive feedback, (c) identify appropriate times for evaluation and feedback, and (d) use facilitation skills when providing feedback and evaluating student performance.