Keywords

adult learning, clinical education, decision making processes, evidence-based practice, supervision

 

Authors

  1. Gillam, Sandra Laing PhD
  2. Gillam, Ronald B. PhD

Abstract

Clinical education provides an authentic context for teaching graduate students how to make evidence-based clinical decisions. We present a seven-step evidence-based practice decision-making process that supervisors can teach graduate students who are enrolled in clinical practicum experiences. Clinical supervisors can teach students to ask appropriate clinical questions, to conduct literature reviews, to critically appraise research evidence, and to systematically integrate external and internal evidence in ways that lead to effective assessment and treatment decisions. The article explains how supervisors can teach the steps in the evidence-based practice decision-making process to students as they answer clinical questions about clients they are serving.