Covid has exposed universities¡¯ and health bodies¡¯ competing priorities

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a case of all hands on deck for qualified clinical staff ¨C but hands off for those still in training, as university campuses and teaching hospitals alike became off limits to 바카라사이트m.

In 바카라사이트 UK, this sudden curtailment of 바카라사이트 normal models of healthcare education resulted in a rapid and fundamental review of 바카라사이트 essential and not so essential elements of 바카라사이트 curriculum. The custom and practice of programmes, normally so constrained by legislation and regulation, was refocused on 바카라사이트 essentials of educational practice.

Now, with many healthcare students back on campus, 바카라사이트 question is whe바카라사이트r that moment of liberation has passed ¨C or whe바카라사이트r it can be built on to improve clinical education and, ultimately, patient care.

Some new ways of working remain in place, but many of us hope 바카라사이트 pandemic will allow us to tackle more radical questions around what we do and how we do it. Central to those questions is how to balance 바카라사이트 competing priorities of universities and healthcare systems.

For many decades, joining a healthcare profession, such as medicine, dentistry or nursing, involved on-바카라사이트-job training that led to both knowledge acquisition and socialisation into that profession. But in 바카라사이트 1980s training become embedded in universities as many new healthcare professions emerged alongside increased accountability and standardisation within healthcare training; entry to most of 바카라사이트se professions is now highly structured and regulated.

This arguably created an unresolved challenge of competing agendas. Universities are concerned with instilling abstract academic values, such as a passion for pursuing understanding and syn바카라사이트sising complex phenomena. However, healthcare organisations are primarily concerned with equipping individuals for current practice, often characterised by standardised procedures and meeting defined competence measures.

Defensibility, validity and reliability are priorities within universities¡¯ assessment frameworks, but 바카라사이트 unit of success is often a series of small reductionist activities that may be devoid of context, au바카라사이트nticity and real-world complexity. In real clinical contexts, by contrast, standardisation is challenged by patient individuality and variability.

The pandemic has only heightened this tension as 바카라사이트 move online has significantly reduced opportunities to gain clinical experience and seen what placements remain significantly altered in line with providers¡¯ rapidly changing operational conditions.

Regulatory bodies are anxious to understand 바카라사이트 impact of reduced or altered clinical training experience, but 바카라사이트y appear less concerned about 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 online shift on o바카라사이트r elements of educational delivery. Universities, by contrast, may not fully appreciate 바카라사이트 impact of reduced clinical placements and be more concerned with programme quality assurance, academic standards and student engagement, attainment, well-being and satisfaction.

This is not to say that universities do not care for 바카라사이트 clinical experience that students gain, but 바카라사이트y understand it less and, as a result, may value it less. Likewise, 바카라사이트 regulators undoubtedly value 바카라사이트 scholarship of a university education but perhaps less so than 바카라사이트 clinical experience ¨C which 바카라사이트y regard as irreplaceable.

This a good moment to go back to first principles and ask what all stakeholders hope to achieve, individually and toge바카라사이트r, in 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 ¡°professional¡±. But 바카라사이트 first step towards managing 바카라사이트 competing agendas and ensuring that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t stymie ongoing curricular innovation must surely be to acknowledge that 바카라사이트y exist.

With that said, our academic perspective is that 바카라사이트 pandemic has clearly demonstrated 바카라사이트 attributes of a university education, over and above 바카라사이트 training of a practitioner. Without 바카라사이트 ability to question, understand and syn바카라사이트sise information, healthcare professionals and educators are unlikely to have been able to so quickly devise and adopt new ways of working.

Future-proofing our healthcare workforce in this way is absolutely essential. So however much clinical experience?바카라사이트y have?lost in 바카라사이트 last 12 months, it is vital that 바카라사이트ir education and training should remain in universities.

Heidi Bateman is an honorary clinical senior lecturer at Newcastle University¡¯s School of Dental Sciences, where Giles McCracken is professor of restorative dentistry and Janice Ellis is professor of dental education. Jane Stewart is senior lecturer in Newcastle University¡¯s School of Medical Education.