Development of online conferencing and web-based in-service modules for preceptor training

Over the past five years our clinical laboratory sciences (CLS) program more than doubled student enrollment to help address the workforce shortages in our state. At the same time, medical laboratory technician programs were also increasing enrollment, putting significant pressure on the already limited number of clinical training spaces. To help alleviate the impact on clinical sites, major changes were made to the traditional clinical rotation model; shifting from a clinical training to a clinical experience and a simultaneous decrease in length from 22 to 12 weeks. This change required extensive in-service training for clinical preceptors including rationale for the new clinical experience model, review of student campus education, expectations for preceptors and students, as well as developing and implementing new evaluation methods of student performance. Through funding from the Department of Labor, online interactive modules introducing the concepts of new clinical experience module for both preceptors and for students were developed. To provide a more in-depth and specific in-service for the preceptors, web-conferences were held to describe the students' didactic and laboratory educational background and to discuss the expectations and evaluations of students. Two course management system sites were developed, one for preceptors and one for students, so they could access clinical experience information and materials at any time and from any location. These course sites also allowed us to convert evaluation processes to an online format. Survey feedback from preceptors indicates that this system was well received providing a cost-effective method for preceptor education and communication.