Educational opportunities on a ward round; utilising near-peer teaching

Near-peer teaching (NPT) has been shown to be useful in undergraduate and postgraduate medical teaching, but there is sparse knowledge of its applicability in clinical settings, such as the ward round. The current study assessed the suitability of NPT on a consultant ward round and ascertained its advantages and disadvantages as a teaching method in this setting. NPT was trialled on three consecutive consultant ward rounds on a palliative medicine inpatient unit in a cancer centre. Both learner (three junior doctors) and facilitator (one consultant) views were sought via questionnaires and interviews. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. All participants felt that NPT gave a better educational experience compared with traditional ward rounds. Participants found NPT improved their own teaching ability, was quick and easy to use, and was tailored to the learner. More advantages were cited than disadvantages. Disadvantages were only mentioned by senior doctors and included time off the ward round and lack of teaching for the senior member of the near-peer pair. Thus, NPT could be a useful educational tool to provide differentiated learning in busy clinical settings. However, more research is needed to ensure that it can meet the learning needs of senior trainees.