Impact of Clinical Education of Student Clinicians on Speech-Language Pathologists' Productivity in Medical Settings

Abstract

Purpose: The shortage of speech-language pathologists in the workforce in the United States has prompted investigation into possible causes and solutions, one of which is investigation of the productivity impact of the one-to-one student-to-instructor ratio in clinical education in medical settings. This study compared productivity percentages before and during the student placement to determine the impact of clinical education on productivity. Method: This study used a descriptive retrospective cohort within-subjects design, comparing the mean productivity of 95 clinical educators before and during a student rotation. Results: The results indicated that the mean productivity of the speech-language pathology clinical educator was significantly negatively impacted during the student rotation, and this negative impact lasted through Week 7 of the rotation. Discussion addressed possible reasons for this reduction in productivity. Conclusions: This information supports the long-held belief within the field that 1:1 clinical education of a student clinician negatively impacts the clinical educators' productivity. Additional research is needed to further explore (a) the impact of clinical education on productivity in medical settings and (b) modifications to graduate clinician training preparation for medical settings to reduce this productivity impact.