Let's Talk about the Talk: Exploring the Experience of Discussing Student Performance at the Mid- and Final Points of the Clinical Internship

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of physiotherapy students and clinical instructors (CIs) when discussing student clinical performance at the mid- and final points of clinical internships. The objectives were to identify why performance assessment discussions are valuable, explore the role of each participant throughout the discussion, identify the challenges associated with these discussions, and explore the effect of the standardized assessment tool on the discussion. This study used a qualitative descriptive design, consisting of student and CI focus groups in the Greater Toronto Area from January to June 2016. All participants (N=29) recognized the importance of having face-to-face performance assessment discussions in a quiet and private space. Students and CIs agreed that the Canadian Physiotherapy Assessment of Clinical Performance helped to structure and focus the discussions. Valuable discussions occurred when students were open minded and self-reflected on their performance and when CIs were honest and used their expertise to guide learning. Other key features included mutual preparedness, two-way feedback that was constructive and tangible, and a goal-setting process. Students described the emotional component of these discussions as being challenging, and CIs found it difficult when a student took a more passive role in the discussion. Our findings indicate that valuable discussions can provide meaningful feedback, strengthen the student-CI relationship, and engage the learner in an ongoing and cumulative learning process that contributes to professional development.