UT Health Science Center:

COHP107 Supervision of Student on Clinical or Fieldwork Assignment – Academic Policy

No./Title: COHP107 Supervision of Student on Clinical or Fieldwork Assignment	Resp. Office: STUDENT AFFAIRS Approval Body: College Council	Effective Date: March 2019
Category: Student	Last Review: March 2019	Next Review: March 2022
Contact: Hassan A Aziz Academic Affairs	 901.448.3164	 habdelaz@uthsc.edu
Related Policies:

Introduction

The programs in the College of Health Professions (COHP) utilize a variety of off-campus facilities for the clinical training component of their curriculum.

Purpose

Students are only placed in facilities where an affiliation agreement exists between the university and the facility. Students are provided clinical supervisors who direct their educational experiences at the clinical or fieldwork sites.

Procedure

Each department or program has guidelines or criteria for verifying the qualifications of the individuals who serve as clinical supervisors. The department chair or appropriate program official is responsible for determining if personnel at the facility have the appropriate education, credentials, training and skill set to supervise students as outlines in the appended guidelines.

APPROVAL HISTORY

Effective: March 2019

Approved: March 25, 2019, HPFO

Approved: March 27, 2019, COHP Dean

University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Health Professions

DEPARTMENT OF AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH PATHOLOGY

Guidelines for External Preceptors

The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology requires an external preceptor who supervises student(s) at external clinical practicum sites to meet the following qualifications:

1. Hold current license to practice audiology or speech-language pathology in the state in which the instructor practices.
2. Hold current certification to practice audiology or speech-language pathology.
3. Have at least one year of clinical practice experience.

DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCES

Guidelines for Clinical Supervisor or Volunteer Clinical Faculty Credentials

VOLUNTEER CLINICAL FACULTY CREDENTIALS:

The Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences requires clinical site supervisors or volunteer clinical faculty who interface with students to be certified and licensed (if applicable) in the respective area(s) of the laboratory where they will be assisting or overseeing students who are on clinical rotation as follows:

Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Scientist:

• Minimum of a baccalaureate degree
• National generalist certification as MLS/MT(ASCP) or CLS(NCA)
• License as a medical laboratory technologist or medical laboratory supervisor in Tennessee or
• If outside of Tennessee, licensed by the state where the clinical affiliation site is located if that state offers licensure for medical laboratory personnel

Cytotechnologist:

• Minimum of a baccalaureate degree
• National certification as a cytotechnologist, CT(ASCP) or specialist in cytotechnology, SCT(ASCP)
• License as a special analyst cytotechnologist or medical laboratory supervisor-cytology in Tennessee or
• If outside of Tennessee, licensed by the state where the clinical affiliation site is located if that state offers licensure for medical laboratory personnel

Histotechnologist:

• National certification as a histotechnologist, HTL(ASCP) or histotechnician, HT(ASCP)

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INFORMATICS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Directed Experience Policy and Procedure

Entry-level students are assigned a Directed Experience supervisor when they are assigned to the Professional Practice Experiences (PPEs) which are include the following courses ; Directed Experience I (HIM 515), Directed Experience II (HIM 525) and Management Affiliation (HIM 537) at UTHSC. The HIIM Directed Experience supervisor is not given a Clinical Faculty appointment at UTHSC.

Students complete an evaluation of each Directed Experience site including each Directed Experience supervisor

Procedure

1. Student identifies facilities within a convenient travel distance from his or her home.
2. Faculty advisor determines whether or not the facility has the staff with the appropriate education, credentials, training and skill set to supervise the student for the direct experience activity. Requirements will vary based on the nature of the assignment.
3. Faculty advisor determines whether or not there is existing Affiliation Agreement with the facility. If not, the department chair initiates an Affiliation Agreement. Once an Affiliation Agreement is finalized the student may begin the directed practice.
4. The student and the Directed Experience supervisor receive written instructions from the UT HIIM Department about the Directed Experience including a syllabus, description of project, objectives and outcomes.

DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Policy for Credentialing Fieldwork Educators

The Department of Occupational Therapy requires fieldwork educators to meet the following criteria to supervise occupational therapy students:

1. Be currently licensed, or otherwise regulated, in the state in which the educator practices.
2. Have at least one-year full-time (or its equivalent) experience in the practice of occupational therapy when supervising Level II Fieldwork students.
3. Have at least three-years full-time (or its equivalent) experience in the practice of occupational therapy when supervising students in a fieldwork setting where occupational therapy does not exist and provide a minimum of 8-hours of direct supervision per week during the rotation.
4. Have graduated from a program approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy and at least one-year full-time (or its equivalent) experience in the practice of occupational therapy when supervising students outside of the United States.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Guidelines for Volunteer Clinical Faculty Credentials

The Department of Physical Therapy requires a clinical faculty member who instructs student(s) in the physical therapy program while the students are engaged in their clinical experiences to meet the following qualifications:

1. Hold current license to practice physical therapy in the state in which the instructor practices.
2. Have at least one year of clinical practice experience.