Placement structure
Over the course of the three-year Bachelor of Health Science in Perioperative Practice, students must complete 1100 hours of clinical placement - under the supervision of registered health professionals (including anaesthetic technicians and nurses).
Refer to the relevant documentation for each of the placements below. For the most up-to-date information, please view the Clinical Placement Handbook.
Supervision Framework
Any registered health professional may supervise students. However, some individual courses require a Preceptor to support students through their clinical placement by completing formative assessments and feedback. A supervision framework is provided below, which outlines the roles of supervision during clinical placement.
Overview
The purpose of the preceptor is to establish an educational relationship with the student, and to become familiar with their strengths and weaknesses during sustained clinical placement. A student will be allocated a preceptor (Courses ANAE603, 702-703) by the CCL. A preceptor may be allocated more than one student at the discretion of the department. The preceptor will be a key point of contact for the student on placement. Operating theatres can at times be difficult environments to learn in. The preceptor will support a student through the transition between academia and the clinical workplace and support the student's growth by creating a safe and inclusive learning environment to maximise their learning potential whilst on placement. The preceptor is expected to complete formative feedback at regular intervals, and this may include formative assessment of clinical practice.
The preceptor will become familiar with, and must implement, AUT formative assessment instructions. Whilst every effort should be made to ensure that the student is working with the same preceptor for at least 50% of their clinical placement, it is acknowledged this may not be possible. It is recommended that a core group of preceptors are allocated per Course, to support familiarity with student performance, and expectations with course requirements.
The preceptor will use feedback from other supervising clinicians and preceptors to inform the feedback. This will ensure that the feedback process is accurate, and the preceptor/student relationship may develop effectively.
Each student will be accessing clinical placement for a particular course (paper). You can find relevant information to support the clinical supervision of a student for a particular course below.
There are three explicit tasks a supervisor and/ or preceptor may be required to undertake:
- Sign the shift attendance page after each shift to confirm student attendance.
- Complete a shift feedback form (at the request of the student).
- Complete formative assessment documentation via the clinical app for courses ANAE603 (Year Two) and ANAE702 and ANAE703 (Year Three). Preceptors and CCLs only.
Please refer to the following pages of the Clinical Placement Handbook.
Clinical Placement Opportunities and Focus by Course (page 10)
This page describes the clinical focus of each course in the degree pathway which includes clinical placement. Suggested clinical placement locations are included.
Students Level of Practice (from page 11)
This page describes the level of practice expected of the student. A broader perspective of the students learning journey is provided.
Placement Objectives (from page 16)
This page describes the expected activities which students may complete during placement. This should be used as a guide to inform learning experiences.
Specific instructions by course
This placement introduces first year perioperative practice students to the clinical environment of the operating room. The key focus is to develop an understanding of the frameworks in which anaesthetic technicians work and develop your skills in personal safety; lifting and moving and handling of people; vital sign and medical history acquisition and use of adaptive communication in practice (with patients, other perioperative personnel and within the environments in which anaesthetic technicians work). This should include handover processes (theatre reception/admissions) and engagement with the Surgical Safety Checklist.
There is an expectation that health professionals practising in this field will strive for the following attitudes: compassionate/caring, genuine, honest, non-judgemental, open-minded, optimistic, patient, professional, resilient, supportive and understanding.
Action
Students are required to request and receive a minimum number of Shift Feedback forms from the supervising health professional. This should be requested by the student early in the shift to enable the supervisor to provide meaningful feedback.
This placement enables the student to transition from an introductory role in supporting anaesthetic delivery, to one of competence with assessing and supporting the delivery of anaesthesia for uncomplicated adult patient presentations. This is limited to elective adult procedures involving general and/or regional (SAB/epidural) anaesthesia only.
Action
Preceptors are required to complete formative feedback documentation for their allocated student.
This occurs at three formal meetings throughout the clinical placement.
Preceptors will have access to a clinical app. The app provides a portal for providing written feedback to students. Should the app experience technical difficulties, please access the relevant forms below and provide a copy to your student (printed or digital).
Further information on the meeting process and associated documentation is available within the Preceptor Workshop 2023- Video Four.
These semester five students are currently enrolled on the Intermediate Life Support course. Students are being taught to demonstrate competency in intermediate life support skills and rationale. Clinical placement opportunities should include consolidation of post-anaesthetic care unit experience, and may include responding to perioperative resuscitation events under the direct supervision of the Anaesthetic Technician Clinical Co-ordinator (or similar). This may include opportunities to observe resuscitation events outside of the perioperative environment. Student participation in resuscitation events is at the supervisors discretion. In trauma and medical emergencies, it is inappropriate to argue with/about an instruction from a senior staff member or preceptor.
Action
Students are required to request and receive a minimum number of Shift Feedback forms from the supervising health professional. This should be requested by the student early in the shift to enable the supervisor to provide meaningful feedback.
Students are expected to demonstrate understanding of the frameworks and initiatives which support safe surgery to minimise the risks posed to patients and the health care team. This includes initiatives implemented by the Health Quality and Safety Commission such as the Surgical Safety Checklist and preventing VTEs. Students are also exploring equipment related hazards within the operating room such as diathermy machines and LASERs and how risk mitigation strategies are implemented. Students will be learning about the frameworks which support the safe preparation of patients for surgery, as well as how care plans contribute to safer perioperative care.
Action
Students are required to request and receive a minimum number of Shift Feedback forms from the supervising health professional. This should be requested by the student early in the shift to enable the supervisor to provide meaningful feedback.
These semester four students are currently enrolled on both the cardiology, and haemodynamics course. Students will have been signed off to practice IV cannulation (see PARA606) and practice 12 lead ECG acquisition and interpretation (see ANAE604 CCU placement). Where opportunities allow for the student to gain experience in these two areas within PACU, or sedative procedures, the supervisors discretion is advised. Students are also being provided education in the management of post-anaesthetic patients.
Action
Students are required to request and receive a minimum number of Shift Feedback forms from the supervising health professional. This should be requested by the student early in the shift to enable the supervisor to provide meaningful feedback.
This course focusses on care of the paediatric and obstetric patient, including shared airway cases.
Paediatrics
The key focus is to develop understanding of the anaesthetic and perioperative care provided to a paediatric patient.
Obstetrics
The key focus is to develop understanding of the anaesthetic and perioperative care p rovided to a woman in labour with an emphasis on the complicated birth.
Shared airway
The key focus is to develop understanding of surgical procedures which require access to the patients airway whilst under anaesthesia.
Action
Preceptors are required to complete formative feedback documentation for their allocated student.
This occurs at three formal meetings throughout the clinical placement.
Preceptors will have access to a clinical app. The app provides a portal for providing written feedback to students. Should the app experience technical difficulties, please access the relevant forms below and provide a copy to your student (printed or digital).
Clinical placements for this course are separated into two blocks.
Block one
Trauma and emergency surgery (it is understood that students will not experience all trauma and emergency settings but may include: general acutes, orthopaedic trauma, burns, cardiothoracics, acute obstetrics)
This placement introduces third year perioperative practice students to caring for patients undergoing trauma surgery or using acute perioperative services. The key focus is to develop understanding of how anaesthetic and perioperative related care is delivered during altered patient presentations under emergency surgical settings, and how this may differ to elective anaesthesia.
Remote site anaesthesia
This placement provides students the opportunity to understand the complexity and risks associated with delivering anaesthetic services in remote site locations, and the procedures and professional standards which underpin anaesthetic practice in New Zealand.
Block two: Perioperative Practice case studies
The student is in their final semester and should be prepared to undertake a lead role in the care of perioperative patients under the scope of practice of an entry-level anaesthetic technician. The student is required to complete two case studies in the role of lead anaesthetic technician for the entirety of the case and require minimal supervision. The student must demonstrate that they have met the expected standards for practice which are outlined within the Competence Standards of an Anaesthetic Technician (Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand). These case studies may occur at public or private hospital providers and must include adult general anaesthesia patients. Further information regarding this assessment is available on Canvas.
Action
Preceptors are required to complete formative feedback documentation for their allocated student.
This occurs at three formal meetings throughout the clinical placement.
Preceptors will have access to a clinical app. The app provides a portal for providing written feedback to students. Should the app experience technical difficulties, please access the relevant forms below and provide a copy to your student (printed or digital).
Become a Preceptor
A Preceptor must have completed the online Preceptor workshop and have the support of their hospitals Clinical Center Leader (CCL) to fulfil the role. Further expectations are outlined in the supervision framework.
Certification as a Preceptor is valid for three academic years on completion of the online workshop.
To register to become a Preceptor for the programme, the CCL for your hospital must complete the registration form below.