A Guide to Veterinary

Clinical Skills Laboratories

 A Guide to

Veterinary Clinical Skills Laboratories

Authors:

Sarah Baillie, Naomi Booth, Alison Catterall, Nicki Coombes,

Emma Crowther, Marc Dilly, Robin Farrell, Rikke Langebæk,

Máire O’Reilly and Emma Read

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-

NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
 Authors and Contact Details

Sarah Baillie BVSc, CertCHP, MSc(IT), PhD, PFHEA, MRCVS

Professor of Veterinary Education and Veterinary Programme Director
School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
[email protected]

Naomi Booth BSc, BVSc, MMedSci Dist (Med Ed), MRCVS

Teaching Associate (Veterinary Clinical Skills)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, College Road,
Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
[email protected]

Alison Catterall
Clinical Skills Laboratory Manager
School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
[email protected]

Nicki Coombes MSc VetEd, PgCert MedEd, RVN, FHEA

Manager of the Clinical Skills Centre: Clinical Educator and OSCE Coordinator
Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK
[email protected]

Emma Crowther BVSc, MRCVS

Research Assistant in Veterinary Education
School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
[email protected]

Marc Dilly, DVM, PhD

Director, Clinical Skills Lab
University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173
Hannover, Germany
[email protected]

Robin Farrell DVM

Assistant Professor of Clinical Skills
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, St. Kitts, West Indies
[email protected]

Rikke Langebæk, DVM, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Dyrlægevej 16, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
[email protected]

Máire O'Reilly RVN, DipAVN (Surgical)

Clinical Skills Laboratory Manager
Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
[email protected]

Emma K. Read, DVM, MVSc, DACVS

Chair, Clinical Skills Program and Senior Instructor, Equine Surgery
University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
[email protected]
Editing and proof reading by:
Sarah Baillie, Gillian Brown (Higher Education Academy, UK), Emma Crowther and
Julie Williams (Bristol Dental School, UK).

Acknowledgements
The idea to write and publish a guide to veterinary clinical skills laboratories was the
brainchild of Marc Dilly and we are all indebted to his foresight in suggesting that we
collaborate to share our experiences.

The authors and editors wish to thank the numerous members of the clinical skills
communities who have shared expertise and driven the extraordinary growth of
veterinary clinical skills teaching and facilities worldwide in recent years. We would
also like to thank our clinical, academic and technical colleagues as well as the many
students who have inspired, and often helped with, our work.

We would like to acknowledge and thank Susan Rhind and Sheena Warman for
agreeing to allow the inclusion of some text from a section (originally authored by Sarah
Baillie) in the 2nd Edition of ‘A Guide to Assessment in Veterinary Medicine’ in the
assessment section of this booklet (Chapter 9).

The project to produce this booklet was supported by a grant from the UK Higher
Education Academy (HEA) for which we are very grateful.

Note:
There are a number of ways to describe a clinical skills facility e.g. clinical skills
laboratory, clinical skills centre, clinical simulation laboratory, etc. and in some cases
there are a number of rooms in different places or buildings rather than all being in one
site. For simplicity a single term has been used throughout the booklet: Clinical skills
laboratory (CSL).
 Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................. 1

Chapter 2: What to Teach in a Clinical Skills Laboratory ........................................... 3
Chapter 3: Where to Set Up a Clinical Skills Laboratory ............................................ 6
Chapter 4: Equipping a Clinical Skills Laboratory ...................................................... 9
Chapter 5: Managing a Clinical Skills Laboratory .................................................... 12
Chapter 6: Supporting Resources ........................................................................... 14
Chapter 7: Effective Learning of Practical Clinical Skills .......................................... 17
Chapter 8: Integrating Clinical Skills into the Curriculum ......................................... 22
Chapter 9: Assessment of Clinical Skills.................................................................. 25
Chapter 10: Short Reviews ...................................................................................... 28
A: Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) ......................................................................... 29
B: An Online Forum: ‘Veterinary Clinical Skills & Simulation’ Group in NOVICE .. 30
C: Are Students Learning Useful Skills? .............................................................. 31
D: Student Emotions When Learning Surgical Skills ............................................ 32
E: Contextualised Simulation ............................................................................... 33
References and Further Reading ............................................................................ 34
Appendix I: A Page from a Clinical Skill Station Instruction Booklet ......................... 40
Appendix II: Example Clinical Skills Laboratory Layouts .......................................... 41
Appendix III: An Example OSCE Score Sheet ......................................................... 42
 Chapter 1: Introduction

Co-authors: Sarah Baillie, Emma Read

Clinical and practical skills are an essential part of the competences required of
veterinary graduates (European Association of Establishments for Veterinary
Education (EAEVE) 2014, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) 2014
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) 2014, North American Veterinary
Medical Educators Consortium (NAVMEC) 2011) and clinical skills laboratories (CSLs)
are playing an increasingly important role in veterinary curricula around the world.
Clinical training used to rely entirely on an apprenticeship model, as described in
medical education over 100 years ago (Halsted, 1904), where the trainee shadows a
clinician, initially watching and then performing the procedure under the expert’s
supervision. Although such teaching is still central to medical and veterinary training,
recent changes in veterinary education, including increasing student numbers and an
expectation that where possible, the use of animals in teaching should be reduced,
mean that there is a need to find additional ways to support learning.

There are a number of challenges when trying to ensure students master clinical and
practical skills. These include providing sufficient opportunities for students to practise
especially as the modern clinical workplace tends to be busier and finding time to teach
can be difficult. Also many veterinary schools focus on providing referral level, rather
than first-opinion, services; the latter often provide more suitable learning opportunities
for novices.

Learning depends not only on repetitive practice but also, and preferably, being in an
environment without undue stress. However, in the clinic and operating theatre
students may be anxious about making mistakes in front of the clinician or owner and
worried about the potentially serious consequences for the patient. Additionally, there
needs to be enough time and suitable opportunities to provide feedback to learners
and for them to act upon suggestions made for improvement.

A CSL is a designated area where students can practise a range of practical and
clinical skills and provides a means of addressing many of the above issues while
complementing the use of animals in teaching. As a result students should be better
prepared for, and able to optimise their learning in, the clinical setting, whether at
veterinary school, in affiliated practices or on extramural work-placements e.g. on
farms.

The CSL is a student-centred space and affords a number of specific benefits including
having access to timely feedback and being able to practise repeatedly in a safe and
relatively stress-free environment, where there is no risk of harming animals. The
student can make mistakes and learn from them, which is an important part of the
learning process. Additionally, compared to the somewhat opportunistic learning in
clinics, the CSL provides more consistent, accessible training. Students can tailor their
learning needs to address specific skill deficiencies or be strategic in relation to the
veterinary course e.g. by revisiting the CSL in preparation for an upcoming surgical
rotation.

1
There are a number of advantages for veterinary schools in having, and providing
training in, a CSL. Practical sessions can be pre-planned, organised and
comprehensive i.e. a set of skills can be taught to all students in a standardised way,
learning outcomes can be mapped to graduate competences, and assessed using
validated methods e.g. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). For
optimal benefits, the use of the CSL should be integrated into the curriculum so that
the skills build upon each other. Initially the student learns basic animal handling or
individual clinical skills, which are then combined to perform procedural skills. At a
more advanced level, technical skills can be combined with professional skills such a
communication, decision-making and team work. As repetitive practice is crucial to
mastery of clinical skills, in addition to taught practical classes, it is helpful to allow
students open access to the CSL or to provide drop-in sessions.

Despite the obvious benefits of a CSL, there are a number of considerations when
designing a new facility, making improvements to an existing one and when having to
plan annual budgets. There is considerable knowledge and evidence to draw upon,
particularly from medical education and other health professions. The medical
literature documents best practice and is an excellent source of tips, providing
opportunities to learn from others’ experiences and mistakes. However, veterinary
schools are unlikely to have access to similar levels of funding, which means there is
a need for resourcefulness (and as the veterinary community often proves, ‘necessity
is the mother of invention’) and sharing. The willingness of those who already have a
veterinary CSL to host visitors, the emergence of online communities e.g. NOVICE (for
more information about joining the forum see Chapter 10) and an increasing number
of veterinary clinical skills conferences and workshops, has already assisted in the
rapid growth of CSLs and the range of skills students can learn on models. Other key
factors that underpin success include a member of faculty taking the leadership for the
clinical skills initiative and having dedicated management and staffing of the CSL and
associated activities.

The aim of this booklet is to provide guidance on the key factors that lead to the
successful design, implementation, running and sustainability of a CSL. The
development of CSLs takes time, thought, funding and considerable effort; sometimes
there is opportunity to develop a completely new CSL from scratch but more often it
involves a staged approach and small steps towards a larger goal. The short chapters
in this booklet are designed to provide easily accessible information and tips from
authors who have been involved in all stages of the veterinary CSL initiative; some
have been teaching in or running CSLs for many years and others can draw upon
recent experiences setting up new CSLs. As well as citing some references within the
text of some chapters, there is an extensive list of useful papers and reviews provided
towards the end of the booklet for further reading.

2
 Chapter 2: What to Teach in a Clinical Skills Laboratory

Co-authors: Emma Read, Máire O’Reilly, Marc Dilly, Naomi Booth

Overview: One of the most commonly asked questions when developing a clinical
skills laboratory (CSL) (or programme) is: “What should we teach?” The CSL should
be a space for students to learn and practise psychomotor skills (see Chapter 7) i.e.
the practical skills that will be required throughout the course and at graduation.
Emphasis should be placed on developing global proficiency in a range of core skills
while recognising that teaching all of the skills and techniques required of an
experienced veterinarian is neither appropriate nor possible. The goal should be to
teach a representative sample of skills to the level expected of a new graduate, that
will allow development of foundational principles, and which can be drawn on at a later
date in novel situations. Although students will initially need to think carefully about
how to perform each stage of a skill or procedure and should be provided with
opportunities to practise until becoming proficient. The CSL should not be used as an
area where time is spent just studying facts.

What is a clinical skill?

In its simplest form, a clinical skill is a psychomotor skill; a set of learned, coordinated
movements, and currently in veterinary education, this is usually what is meant when
the term ‘clinical skill’ is used. However in medical education, the term may include
cognitive skills such as clinical reasoning; Michels et al., (2012) found that doctors
identified three aspects to clinical skills: underlying knowledge, procedural steps and
clinical reasoning. Basic clinical skills training may simply introduce the practical skills,
however with more advanced students, learning and assessment may place the
procedure in context, and require additional cognitive or communication skills, for
example including the implementation of a treatment plan.

Mapping to graduate competences

Graduate competences are defined by regulatory bodies (e.g. EAEVE, RCVS, AVMA)
in documents that list the high level skills, knowledge and attitudes that are expected
of newly qualified veterinarians. The documents do not provide detailed or exhaustive
lists but should be used when mapping skills and to inform the development of the
CSL. For example, in the UK, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Day One
Competences (RCVS 2014) states that graduates must be able to ‘perform aseptic
surgery correctly’, which will encompass the basic skills underpinning aseptic
techniques and surgical procedures such as scrubbing-up, gowning, gloving,
instrument handling, knot tying and suturing.

In addition, a number of surveys have produced skills lists (e.g. Hill et al., 2012; Hubbell
et al., 2008; Luby et al., 2013; Royal Veterinary College, 2007) and the reader is
directed to the reference section for further information.

3
Range of skills to be considered
Skills taught in a CSL are likely to cover a number of broad areas such as:

1. Husbandry and handling

2. Clinical examination
3. Obtaining diagnostic samples
4. Laboratory skills
5. Diagnostic imaging and other ancillary tools
6. Post-mortem examination
7. Drug and fluid administration
8. Anaesthesia
9. Surgical skills and theatre practice
10. Nursing skills
11. Emergency procedures

Adapted from ‘Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine Day One Skills’ (Royal Veterinary
College, University of London, 2007).

How to organise skills into manageable components

There is a continuum in clinical skills training from learning simple techniques through
to performing procedures on live animals and it can be helpful to have a range of skill
difficulties in the CSL for learners at different stages. Skills stations can be developed
in a way that encourages a logical progression whereby students become competent
at simple skills on task trainers before progressing to procedural skills on more
sophisticated models or cadavers, and eventually live animals. For example, initially it
is easiest to learn suture patterns on a bench-top model but placing the suture pad
vertically and/or attaching it to a model leg is more realistic for an equine limb wound.
Complex tasks, which may require combinations of skills and/or greater manual
dexterity would overwhelm novice learners. For further information on how to teach
skills effectively see Chapter 6 in this booklet.

It is also helpful to consider at what stage in the veterinary curriculum each component
should be taught. This may relate to other teaching in the curriculum, or to work-based
learning opportunities such as extra-mural studies (EMS). For example, animal
handling will be taught early in the curriculum as these skills are fundamental, whilst
basic surgical skills will be needed before the first clinical experience to make the most
of these learning opportunities.

Financial resources and feasibility

Financial and other resource considerations should not be overlooked or
underestimated and may limit what can be offered in a CSL. Increased numbers of
students may place a further strain on available resources. Space, manpower,
accessibility and a lack of interest or time from ‘in house’ support may all be factors.
The list of skills to be taught and the desired outcome for the learners will have to be
prioritised in the face of any constraints and the local context.

4
Top tips
 “Keep your eye on the prize” – what are the learning outcomes? Have a clear
picture of what students are expected to be able to do upon graduation
 Consider what will be taught in the CSL and what will be covered elsewhere
in the curriculum
 Consider how students will be supported in progressing from simple skills to
procedures, or from learning on models to cadavers and live animals
 Recognise that the teaching of clinical skills (in the CSL and elsewhere) will
depend on financial resources and other limitations
 The online ‘Veterinary Clinical Skills & Simulation’ group in NOVICE contains
a list of stations that different veterinary CSLs use; see Chapter 10 for
information about joining the network

5
 Chapter 3: Where to Set Up a Clinical Skills Laboratory

Co-authors: Marc Dilly, Sarah Baillie, Nicki Coombes, Máire O’Reilly

Overview: When deciding where to set up a clinical skills laboratory (CSL) there are
several options and venues. Often there are existing rooms and facilities that can be
adapted or it may be possible, funds permitting, to design and build a completely new
centre. Whichever approach, there are some important considerations when planning
the CSL. Factors such as the local environment (e.g. proximity to other teaching areas
and clinics), the amount of funding (for building work, modifications to existing rooms,
fixtures and fittings, and then the equipment, models, etc.), the existing facilities
(consider the best and most efficient ways to use the space) as well as the faculty
support (securing senior management buy-in is crucial) and organisational structure
(e.g. staffing, technical support) may affect the location of a CSL. The CSL can be
centralised in one building or distributed in separated buildings and linked to other
facilities. Room layouts can vary from a large room (e.g. an old large animal theatre)
or several smaller rooms. One important point when setting up a CSL is to find a
location that is suitable for the type of teaching i.e. hands-on training sessions
(practicals) and is preferably flexible (can be adapted for different types of class). It is
highly beneficial for students to have options for self-directed learning (as mastery of
clinical and practical skills requires repetitive practice) and therefore provision of drop-
in or appointment-based access to resources and the facility should be provided.
Overall, the CSL layout and design should be flexible enough to support the teaching
and assessment of multiple clinical skills.

Considerations for setting up a CSL

There are a number of important considerations when deciding where to set up a CSL.
The goal is to provide a safe environment for learning and teaching where students
can practise with confidence. Where possible, the facility should be as realistic as
possible to give a sense of the clinical environment.

Size
The size of a CSL should ideally be large enough to accommodate multiple training
sessions at the same time. Existing CSLs have a wide range of sizes; some start by
adapting a single room while others have space in excess of 1,000 m². It is important
to consider whether a large space, with or without multiple rooms, is the best option,
particularly when the CSL will be operated by a limited number of staff; an adaptable
single space or a more manageable size may be a better option.

Location
Ideally, the location of the CSL should be close to the main teaching buildings and
clinics to allow students to drop-in and practise more easily between other
commitments or when the clinics are quiet. Most existing CSLs are in one building
instead of using multiple separate locations. The CSL should have flexible and suitable
rooms, adaptable for different class sizes, and provide a safe and reasonably realistic
setting to teach and learn clinical skills. A large open space delivers a lot of flexibility
and can be used for multiple, and possibly concurrent, classes by using screens or

6
room dividers to create several smaller teaching areas. However, flexibility generates
a greater workload for staff needing to reset the CSL for each different teaching
session. If the veterinary school has multiple sites e.g. the earlier years are primarily
taught within the main university and the later years are at a clinical campus or at off-
site practices (distributed model), providing a smaller satellite CSL or having certain
skills stations available in boxes should be considered to enable students to practise
in relation to their current learning needs.

Rooms
The CSL should comprise rooms or areas suitable for a wide range of clinical skills
e.g. treatment rooms, consulting rooms, operating theatre, communication skills
facilities. Some rooms or areas are more appropriately used for a specific skill, such
as surgical preparation, which will include scrub sinks. However, most rooms should
support different teaching and learning methods wherever possible. Examples of
existing CSL layouts are shown in Appendix II.

Students should be able to drop-in to practise, refine and maintain their skills. This
could be provided by scheduling open access sessions in certain rooms, allowing
students keycard access (i.e. using student identification (ID) cards), or dedicating an
area within the CSL for open-access (e.g. by using rooms dividers).

One issue that is often overlooked when setting up a CSL is having a dedicated space
for storage. While it may appear to be a poor investment and a lower priority than
providing more space for teaching, there are several reasons for ensuring there is
adequate storage. On the one hand, replaceable items, models and simulators are still
easily accessible but are protected from being ‘borrowed’ or stolen. On the other hand,
expensive equipment is at a risk of damage if there is free access and usage without
supervision.

Features
Some features to consider when deciding where to set up a CSL:

 Reception and sign-in area to provide assistance and key information (this
could be an un-manned desk by the entrance)
 Computer network infrastructure and wireless
 Flexible multimedia tools and video recording/playback facilities
 Sinks may be necessary; consider existing plumbing or whether it can be
added
 Hard wearing and ‘easy clean’ flooring and appropriate drainage
 Storage rooms, shelves and boxes for model, equipment and replacement
stocks
 Locker rooms (ideally) or an area for bags with rows of coat hooks
 Office(s) for support and teaching staff

7
Top tips
 If possible, make sure the CSL is in close proximity to other areas used by
students (clinics, teaching spaces, student common room) to encourage
frequent access
 Be flexible, ideally using a small number of rooms and/or subdivide large
open areas to optimise the use of space
 Provide enough storage space/rooms
 Clearly signpost the CSL so staff and students know how to find it

8
 Chapter 4: Equipping a Clinical Skills Laboratory

Co-authors: Emma Crowther, Marc Dilly, Nicki Coombes, Máire O’Reilly, Emma
Read, Rikke Langebæk

Overview: The amount of equipment, furnishings and models needed will depend on
the particular circumstances at each institution. For example, if the clinical skills
laboratory (CSL) is to occupy an existing building or former laboratory, benches, chairs
and storage may be readily available, whereas in a new-build, such equipment may
need to be purchased. Existing equipment can often be repurposed although may then
limit some aspects of the CSL’s design.

Furniture
Student workspaces (tables, benches, etc.) are essential and can be either fixed or
movable to allow different CSL uses at different times. Some skills stations will require
utilities such as water and electricity, and it will often be appropriate for stations such
as basic diagnostic skills (e.g. blood smear) to be permanently located near these
resources. For other stations, many existing CSLs use wheeled tables e.g. typical
consulting room tables, which can be rearranged as necessary, with rubber mats to
prevent equipment slipping on the metal surfaces. Each station will need sufficient
space for students to practise the skill, and additional workspace for learning resources
(e.g. instruction booklets); magazine racks are useful for storing
worksheets/instructions when not in use. Instrument tables and small cupboards
(preferably on wheels) provide useful extra surfaces and storage for consumables and
spare equipment. Moveable room dividers may prove useful to partition areas of the
CSL; these can also be used to display posters and notices and for OSCE stations.

Storage
A store room close to the CSL is ideal, however it is sometimes necessary to store
equipment within the CSL. It is often useful to keep the equipment for a particular
station or practical session in one storage box, such that all the equipment is
conveniently available e.g. ‘Lin Bins’ (http://www.linbins.com/) and ‘Really Useful
Boxes’ (http://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/uk/html/onlineshop/fullrange_rub.php),
and having a range of sizes allows small consumables (e.g. needles, syringes) to be
kept separately from larger stores of reserve stock.

If a large storage area is available, space to keep larger or less frequently used models,
donated items and a workbench for creating models are particularly useful.

Models and mannequins

Mannequins range from simple home-made models to technologically advanced high
fidelity simulators. Detailing which are suitable for each skill is beyond the scope of this
booklet, but below are some points to consider, with examples.

 Cost: Consider on-going maintenance and replacements in addition to initial

outlay; if thousands of students can use an expensive model, this may be

9
 more cost effective than a cheap, disposable model, particularly if a large
amount of staff time is needed to make the model.
 Homemade models: The creativity and flare of laboratory technicians or
other members of the team should be considered before buying commercial
products as some models can be made on-site.
 Stage of learner: A novice learner may learn the basics of a skill using a
simple model e.g. if the task is predominantly co-ordination and dexterity,
whereas a more advanced student may need a higher fidelity model to refine
their skills. An example is knot tying; initially tying a knot around a bean bag
is sufficient to learn the hand movements, but ligating a simulated blood
vessel would test if a more advanced learner can tie a secure ligature.
 Limitations of transferability: Consider whether the model enables students
to develop competence such that they are safe to gain experience on live
animals. Identify the limitations of any model and make these clear to
students e.g. for equine naso-gastric intubation ‘When using the model, you
will need to guide the tube into the oesophagus as the model will not
swallow’.
 Suitability: Identify steps that make a procedural skill difficult and design a
suitable model e.g. for ligating deep in a cavity use balloons to simulate
intestines and to impair visualisation.
 Multiple uses: Consider whether a mannequin can be used for teaching more
than one skill.
 Storage: Large models that are not permanently in use will need sufficient
storage space.

Whilst there are mannequins available for a variety of skills, it is helpful to consider
what the student needs to learn. In many instances an educationally sound model can
be made from easily and cheaply sourced materials (Table 1). Carefully researching
commercial and home-made models is extremely worthwhile.

Table 1: Some examples of home-made models used in veterinary CSLs.

Skill Materials Notes

Suturing Non-adhesive absorbent Once the basic technique has been learned,
wound dressings (e.g. materials can be attached to animal models to
Allevyn), hide, silicone simulate real life scenarios, e.g. wound on
(e.g. Dragon Skin), suture equine limb, leather placed vertically at flank
material, needles, needle height for a cow laparotomy.
holders, scissors, forceps
Feline Wooden beads, wool, Create a tunnel from dorsum to perineum
castration narrow bore tubing, cat using tubing. Thread wool through and attach
toy, haemostats bead (testicle). Practise autoligation.
Intra- Dog soft toy, small Create a pocket in lumbar area. Place orange
muscular orange, glove, needle, in glove in pocket. Inject into orange
injection syringe, water for injection (remember to remove the orange afterwards!).

10
Clinical equipment
Clinical equipment requirements vary depending on the type of station. Surgical
equipment, such as gowns, gloves, and instruments are likely to be essential; a
dedicated scrub sink and possibly a theatre lamp may be useful for surgical stations.
In addition to anaesthetic machines and breathing systems, anaesthesia stations may
need secure cylinder storage, piped gas lines and scavenging.

It is essential to comply with relevant health and safety regulations and, as necessary,
provide lab coats, gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE). If using
clinical samples, clinical waste disposal and appropriate hand washing and cleaning
facilities will be necessary, as will sharps disposal for needles or glass. Using
decommissioned x-ray machines avoids radiation safety considerations.

Sourcing clinical samples and materials will be dependent on the regulations and
ethical guidelines of each institution.

Sources of equipment
There are numerous sources of equipment; which are most useful depends on the
budget and the priorities of the CSL.

 Veterinary wholesalers may offer a discount for bulk purchases; the

institution may have an existing relationship or have negotiated a deal
 Second hand items such as anaesthetic machines can be purchased at
medical supplies auctions
 University clinics, local practices and hospitals may be happy to donate out
of date stock (e.g. suture material), or disposable items that are adequate for
use in the CSL
 Manufacturers may provide samples, consumables or equipment or may be
able to identify sponsors for specific stations; it may be appropriate to
acknowledge their support in the CSL
 Some institutions have a recycling programme and a website to search or
advertise for equipment. Technical and support staff often know of unwanted
items on campus which may be available

Top tips
 Before purchasing anything, develop a plan as to how the space will be used
and the layout of the CSL
 Thoroughly check the set-up of each station to ensure no equipment has
been overlooked e.g. a closed gloving station requires gowns
 Consider buying in bulk – either for multiple practicals, or with other groups
on site, such as clinics or research laboratories
 There is on-going debate regarding the value of high and low fidelity models;
carefully consider each model’s merits and limitations
 Consider allowing students to be able to sign out equipment (in a similar
way to a library loan) e.g. for basic equipment such as suture packs

11
 Chapter 5: Managing a Clinical Skills Laboratory

Co-authors: Nicki Coombes, Alison Catterall, Máire O’Reilly, Marc Dilly

Overview: The management of clinical skills laboratories (CSLs) covers a wide variety
of jobs and supports a number of activities. In addition to teaching, CSLs may be used
for examinations (e.g. OSCEs), research projects, public engagement events,
Continuing Professional Development courses (CPD, also known as Continuing
Education) and by student clubs. Different facilities will have different staffing; some
may have administrative and technical support, others may not. It is helpful to keep the
organisation as simple as possible and to have clear protocols in place for all users.

Booking procedure
It is important to determine which activities and users have priority for booking the CSL
as it is often not as simple as ‘first come first served’. If there are multiple people
expecting to use the space, some form of ‘triage’ has to be implemented. The academic
timetable for examinations is usually prioritised, because either the exams are set in
the CSL or students will need access to the CSL to practise.

There must be strict adherence to a bookings diary, ideally supported with a booking
form specifying what is required on the day (equipment, room layout, IT support etc.)
and who is responsible for the activity. It is inadvisable to allow the CSL to be part of a
central room bookings system, as it is preferable for users to come directly to the CSL
staff so expectations can be managed; advice can be given as to what is required to
run the class, how many students can be taught at one time etc. New staff may not
realise how long a practical class can take to set-up and may need guidance when
they do so for the first time. It is important to support new users of the CSL but how
much time is available will depend on the specific role of CSL staff at each institution.

All users of the CSL (students and staff) should be informed about what is expected of
them e.g. are students to tidy up after themselves, who re-stocks consumable
equipment and who pays for any materials used – is there a central budget or does
each department fund its own activities? This can be a difficult issue and may affect
local storage of different departments’ goods.

Multiple room use

If the CSL is large, it is not uncommon for two separate classes to run in the room at
the same time. This does require co-operation, for example, not speaking too loudly,
as large CSLs may have echoing acoustic properties. Portable or sliding screens can
be used to sub-divide an area. Consider having a ‘core skills’ area that is always
available for students’ use even when other classes have been booked to use the CSL.

Selection of teaching material and skills

Other chapters cover what should be taught in a CSL and what resources are required.
Acknowledging that constraints may have to be placed on what can and cannot be
provided is important; it is easy to try to be all things to all people but sometimes CSL
managers have to say ‘No’. It is better to do a few things well, than many things badly.

12
Teaching principles
A variety of teaching methods can and should be accommodated, with supporting
learning resources. Videos, instruction sheets, one to one sessions, and encouraging
other members of staff to drop in with students all contribute to learning. Peer teaching
should be encouraged in the CSL as benefits include the learner being helped by
someone who has recently mastered the skill (please refer to Chapter 10 for more
information on peer assisted learning).

Web presence and IT

A message board can be developed using an institution’s online tools (e.g. virtual
learning environment, intranet or internal web-pages) with information about
timetabled practicals, drop-in sessions, special classes, new stations or to ask for
volunteers for various activities. A site to collate videos, instruction sheets or links to
other websites may also be useful. If students know in advance which skills will be
taught in a practical, they can prepare using the online resources or if a student is
unable to attend a class, the materials can be used to catch-up. Online resources
require regular maintenance and updating as techniques change or the CSL introduces
new resources. The availability of laptops or computer stations can enhance a CSL but
as the space is primarily for learning ‘practical’ skills, IT resources should provide
support and not become a replacement. Social media is increasingly becoming part of
learning. A Twitter feed, Facebook page or other social media can encourage users to
feel integrated and to be aware of what is occurring in the CSL.

Health and safety

Health and safety always has to be taken seriously. Potentially dangerous equipment,
chemicals and clinical samples are used in the CSL and users may have unsupervised
access. A health and safety awareness register can be used in combination with
normal attendance registers for students to sign-in when accessing the CSL e.g.
students sign to say they understand and will abide by the health and safety rules.

Top tips
 It is useful to have a notice board near the CSL entrance to detail what is
happening, where and at what times each day to reduce enquiries
 If there are cupboards in the CSL containing stocks of equipment, decide if
these are to be freely accessible to all users or are to be locked
 Let all users (students and staff) know what is expected of them and what
support is available
 Write worksheets describing how to tidy up and re-set a station. The
behaviour will become embedded ‘good practice’ and will be appreciated by
all when working in a veterinary surgery
 Colour coding documents and instruction sheets for different courses or
programmes can help users recognise the relevant resources
 If setting up other users’ practical classes, meet with them, have detailed
lists of what is required and photograph the set-up for future reference.
 The most important factor in the success of a CSL… the CSL manager!

13
 Chapter 6: Supporting Resources

Co-authors: Emma Crowther, Marc Dilly

Overview: It is important to have suitable resources to support activities in the clinical

skills laboratory (CSL). Teaching materials can be provided in various formats e.g.
instruction booklets and videos, posters, information cards and slide shows. The
resources should be easily accessible in the CSL and ideally also available online for
private study. It is worth considering how resources will be utilised; for example
instruction booklets for a scrubbing up station would be quickly damaged by students’
wet hands, and laminated posters may be more appropriate.

Teaching materials
The ready availability of supporting learning resources helps to ensure all staff teach
a skill in a consistent manner. There may be several appropriate ways of performing a
skill and individual staff may have a preferred method. However in the CSL, the initial
aim should be for students to achieve basic competency in one correct method;
variations to the technique may overwhelm novices and a standardised approach is
also important when students will be assessed e.g. using an Objective Structured
Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) format. Students should be informed that they may
observe various correct (and occasionally incorrect) methods in practice and if
necessary the alternatives and variations can be introduced at a later stage.

When developing teaching materials, consider each of the steps necessary to perform
the skill. Some steps may relate to OSCE checklists, but the specific instructions
should be more detailed. For example, an OSCE checklist on intravascular
catheterisation may include ‘opens packet maintaining asepsis’, but the teaching
resource should explain specifically how to open the catheter packaging correctly, as
it may not be obvious to a learner. An expert’s technique becomes automated, so there
may be a surprisingly high number of steps involved even in simple skills (Read and
Baillie, 2013, Low-Beer et al., 2011). Additionally, teaching materials should be
reviewed with staff from the clinic or department in which the skills are routinely
performed.

The level of detail a learner requires will depend on previous experience and for
advanced skills it may be possible to refer to component skills taught earlier in the
curriculum. For example, simple interrupted suture may be taught initially as a basic
surgical skill with every step detailed and explained, but may be incorporated as a
single step of a procedural skill (e.g. ovariohysterectomy) for more advanced learners.

Many students will value having materials available to access in their own time in
addition to during taught practical sessions. Teaching resources ensure that students’
self-directed learning is structured and help to avoid incorrect techniques being passed
between students.

Instruction booklets
Hardcopy instruction booklets should contain photographs and/or a description of each
step in a skill. Booklets have advantages as they are cost effective to reproduce, are

14
usable anywhere, don’t require internet access or technology, and allow students to
work at their own pace, flipping forwards and backwards as necessary. However,
producing detailed booklets is time consuming and it may be difficult to clearly
photograph or describe complicated movements. The format and layout of instructions
should be consistent, so that information is easy to find; this will also help create a
professional image of the CSL. A page from a booklet is shown as an example in
Appendix I.

In addition to providing step-by-step instructions, booklets can include supplementary

information, for example:

 Equipment lists so students have all the necessary equipment to perform the
skill, which also encourages adequate preparation
 Guidance on how to reset the station to ensure the area is ready for the next
student, which also reduces staff time spent clearing up, allows smooth
running of practical classes and encourages respect for team work
 How to safely dispose of equipment to conform with regulations and prepare
students for clinical experience
 Common mistakes to avoid, or useful tips to make the skill easier
 Legal aspects related to the skill e.g. prescribing regulations
 Safety notes and links to relevant risk assessments to encourage safe
practice and comply with health and safety regulations
 References to additional resources e.g. QR code linking to a video resource

Videos
Videos allow students to observe an expert performing a skill and capture more detail
than instruction booklets. However, production requires considerable time commitment
and some technical expertise, and access to a screen and possibly internet connection
for viewing. Some CSLs have networked computers or wall-mounted screens and
students may be able to access videos on their personal smartphones or tablets. A
number of clinical skills videos are already freely available online e.g. on YouTube
(http://www.youtube.com/user/TiHoVideos). Existing online videos provide easy
access for students without any institutional time or cost investment, however it is
advisable to review these resources and provide an approved list for students.

If the CSL has a projector, tele-screen or interactive whiteboard, videos can be

displayed to the whole class. It is also possible to project a demonstration in real-time,
which allows large groups of students to see and follow the instructor more easily.
Projectors or digital photo frames can also be used to display slide shows containing
instructions, however, all students then need to work at the same speed.

Other resources
A dedicated area on the virtual learning environment (VLE) allows students to access
resources remotely. A portfolio may be used for students to record their progress.

Signs advertising and directing students to the CSL help encourage use and opening
times should be displayed near the entrance to the CSL as well as online. Signs within

15
the CSL will be required to direct students to different areas, to the local rules and to
the ‘Health and Safety’ and ‘First Aid’ notices.

Equipment inventories are particularly useful if the CSL is spread over several rooms
or locations, or if equipment is left unsupervised. A comments book or whiteboard is a
convenient way to communicate between staff and students and can be used, for
example, to note down when equipment has run out or been damaged and to make
suggestions for new skills stations. The CSL should be reserved primarily for practical
work but some reference books such as drug formularies may be useful.

A sheet with a standardised template can be useful for recording details of practicals
including class size, duration, number of staff, preparation time, equipment and CSL
layout (including photographs) and will help make setting up practicals that repeat
annually, or even weekly, much easier. The information will prove particularly useful
for large classes with multiple stations. A similar approach is advised when setting up
and running OSCEs.

Instructor information can be provided to staff before practicals, particularly if they have
not previously been involved. The opportunity to review teaching resources and the
practical plan is often appreciated.

Registers may be required for students to sign into practical classes or during open
access time; alternatively it may be possible to operate a booking system or key card
access to allow students to use the CSL for self-directed learning.

Top tips
 Creating a template for written resources reduces the time needed for
formatting and ensures instruction booklets remain consistent (the authors
find Microsoft PowerPoint A4 portrait layout particularly useful)
 Ensure students know which resources are available by providing lists in the
CSL and/or online – and keep the lists updated
 Piloting instructions with a colleague who is not familiar with the skill can be
invaluable – mistakes and poorly described steps will be spotted!

16
 Chapter 7: Effective Learning of Practical Clinical Skills

Co-authors: Naomi Booth, Nicki Coombes

Overview: A wide range of faculty members now find themselves involved in teaching
practical clinical skills, also known as psychomotor skills (see Chapter 2), often outside
the familiar environment of the clinic and in a clinical skills laboratory (CSL). Whilst
many of the qualities of an effective teacher may be usefully applied, these should be
considered as a foundation. Teaching strategies such as talked demonstrations,
simulations or step-by-step guides are often adopted. Whilst these are excellent
supporting resources, a more structured approach to delivery should be considered.
Effective teaching can reduce anxiety and promote confidence in students preventing
an overreliance (on both our and their parts) on serendipity during extramural studies
(EMS) and clinical placements where students may or may not receive high quality
opportunities for learning and practice (McManus et al., 1998; Watkins, 2000).

Competence in clinical skills provides a foundation for progression in the clinical setting
benefiting students, patients, EMS providers and faculty members in clinics, who are
able to build upon key skills delivered earlier in the curriculum rather than having to
start over with the basics. In the medical profession it has been hypothesised that
better prepared students will perform more skills in the clinical environment (Remmen
et al., 1999). In an age of increasing student numbers and potentially diminishing
clinical learning opportunities, earlier attainment of skills competence and better
preparedness upon entering the clinic will become increasingly important.

The Learning Continuum: Defining and achieving competence

As outlined in Chapter 2, considering what level of competence students are expected
to achieve is important. Dreyfus (2001) envisaged competence as a ‘stage on the road
to professional excellence in a hierarchal fashion’ moving from novice to expert.
Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1988) describe a continuum model for learning psychomotor
skills where learners move from novice, advanced beginner, competent and proficient
through to expert and master (Figure 1). The model adopted by medical educators was
originally applied to skills such as driving a car (Carraccio et al., 2008).

Figure 1. Model of skill acquisition: Novice to expert (Dreyfus & Dreyfus, 1988)

17
Our aim is for students to become consciously competent. In this state they will still
have to consciously think and perform elements of the skills, although some
movements may have become automated. Whilst unconscious competence may
appear preferable, at this level the learner is likely to have achieved total mastery of
the skill. Students learn most effectively when ‘consciously incompetent’ and thus are
willing to enter into a learning activity. There is a danger area when undergraduates or
qualified veterinarians are oblivious to their lack of competence in performing a skill
and therefore it is vital that students also learn to recognise when this is the case. The
timeframe for the achievement of competence will vary between individual learners
(ten Cate et al., 2004).

Expertise requires significant time investment with many repetitions of the same
procedure. Our definition of an expert may simply be “graduate physicians or final year
students contrasted with learners at various stages” (Ericsson et al., 2006). Whilst
expert performance can be considered the highest level of skills acquisition, most
professionals reach a stable level (Reznick and MacRae, 2006). Ultimately,
competence is not a single defined point of achievement but habitual lifelong learning
(Leach, 2002). It is however vital to also realise that competence, whilst important,
does not necessarily predict actual performance or competence in the real-world
setting (Ringsted et al., 2001).

Frameworks for teaching psychomotor skills

Whilst an understanding of the learner’s development can help set realistic
expectations, a structured framework for teaching a psychomotor skill can increase the
effectiveness and quality of a teaching session, benefitting both learners and teachers.
Whilst ‘See one, do one’ is a commonly touted teaching practice, it is not the most
effective way of teaching the complex procedures required of medical and veterinary
graduates (Grantcharov and Reznick, 2008).

George and Doto (2001) describe a more applied teaching framework, a simple five-
step model, which is now utilised internationally for the Advanced Trauma Life Support
course and set as a worldwide standard (Society of American Gastrointestinal and
Endoscopic Surgeons, 2010). The framework is widely used for teaching practical
clinical skills.

The most effective sequence in the authors’ experience teaching in veterinary CSLs,
is described below and in Figure 2. The original order of steps 3 and 4 (from George
and Doto) are reversed giving the following sequence: an overview of the cognitive
elements of the skill; a silent demonstration; student verbal description of the skill; a
verbalised demonstration, and finally student performance of the skill with feedback or
coaching. This is illustrated below in the example for learning the principles of ligation
in the context of orchiectomy:

 Step 1: Contextualisation - Teacher introduces skill and its relevance.

Students discuss different methods of castration in small groups or pairs
 Step 2: Visualisation - Students watch silent video or live demonstration of
the ligation technique

18
  Step 3: Verbalisation - Students outline the steps observed to the teacher,
providing an opportunity for correction and clarification
 Step 4: Verbalised demonstration - Repeat step 2 with sound or verbalised
demonstration
 Step 5: Practise and Feedback - Multiple opportunities to perform both in
taught sessions and during self-directed learning with good quality
feedback

Figure 2. Modified version of George and Doto’s five-step model (in the above example
steps 3 and 4 are reversed compared to the original order)

The five-step framework can be developed for both component parts and entire
procedures, positively encouraging the teacher to break down the task into
manageable steps, to consider the appropriate level of desired competence and also
to cater for a variety of learning styles. Step 2, visualisation (silently), can initially
appear quite awkward to the teacher but with practice feels natural and the benefits
become apparent. Steps 3 and 4 were originally described in the opposite order but
the authors have found, in their experience, particularly for larger group sizes, asking
the students to feedback the steps as a group after step 2 i.e. visualising/watching the
technique, is more practical and has the greatest benefit.

The role of deliberate practice

Practice aligned with coaching and immediate feedback on skills is essential and
appears to slow the decay of acquired skills (Reznick and MacRae 2006). Repeated
practice of psychomotor skills decreases anxiety and increases confidence resulting in
the benefits already highlighted. Additional support and instruction, subsequent to the
initial class demonstration helps to reduce perceived workload and frustration of
trainees improving their subjective learning experience (Das and Elzubeir, 2001; Perry
2009). The time required for mastery of a skill has been estimated as 10,000 hours of
deliberate practice (Ericsson and Lehmann, 1996) when referring to the motor skills
required by musicians and sportsmen. Deliberate practice, and not just hours spent,
for example, in a clinical setting, is critical for the development of mastery (Ericsson
and Lehmann, 1996). The individual must focus on a defined task, with the aim of
improving particular aspects. Repeated practice provides the opportunity for correction
of errors, polishing performance and achievement of automaticity (Issenberg et al.,
2005).

19
The importance of feedback
Good quality feedback is vital for students to monitor their progress and self-assess as
they work to achieve and maintain competence (Issenberg et al., 2005). It is argued
“performing skills without supervision or feedback increases confidence but not
competence” (Marteau et al., 1990). Critical feedback is vital, and the most important
element, for efficient skills transfer (O'Connor et al., 2008). Feedback is best delivered
by suitably trained staff and with a low teacher to learner ratio and supervised learning
is more effective than unsupervised (Bradley and Postlethwaite, 2003; O'Connor et al.,
2008). However, in reality it is necessary to balance providing opportunities for
repeated practice with the availability of feedback. Therefore, providing accessible,
good quality supporting learning resources is crucial and will enable students to check
correct technique during practicals and when returning to the CSL in their own time.

Qualities of the clinical skills teacher

Duvivier et al. (2009) constructed a list of desired qualities, competences and
strategies for clinical skills teachers:

 Qualities
o Enthusiasm and passion
o Respect for their own and student’s limitations
 Competences
o Knowledge of:
 Curriculum
 Student’s knowledge level and prior experience
 Strategies
o Adaptable
o Constructive and stimulating feedback
o Communication of expectations and outcomes
o Provide a safe environment

Other factors from the students’ perspective which may influence their ability to learn
effectively are; motivation (both intrinsic and extrinsic), the format of assessment,
availability of support and feedback during and after a teaching session, fractionation
of a task into appropriate sized chunks, appropriateness of the simulation, and
availability of peer support. Many of these factors are within our control. For example,
if teachers lack enthusiasm or respect for the student’s or their own limitations,
students are unlikely to be motivated to learn. It is perhaps worth reflecting upon how
many of the above skills your students would consider you possess.

How to help a struggling student

Where learners are experiencing difficulties, the teacher must identify the underlying
cause. Potential issues have been described by George and Doto (2001) and provide
a useful reference list and include: a learner’s inherent inability to perform a given task,
inadequate description or recall of a demonstration, imprinting of previous incorrect
performance, incorrect or misunderstood feedback, affective factors (such as fear,
anxiety, intimidation, distraction, embarrassment) and low skill value (perceived lack
of importance or relevance), and inaccurate learner perception of performance.

20
Top tips
 Teaching practical and clinical skills is a ‘skill’ in itself. Consider the teaching
qualities you currently have and whether these are optimal
 Consider adopting George and Doto’s five-step model (or modified version
as described above) to provide a more structured approach to the delivery
of teaching sessions. Try it out and adapt as appropriate
 Both ‘learner’ and ‘teacher’ factors influence the effectiveness of any
practical skills teaching experience
 Remember undergraduate learners are novices and adjust your
expectations accordingly
 Provide as many opportunities for structured practice and high quality
feedback as possible
 Novice learners are puzzle-solving and may not be able to vocalise at the
same time. Give students time to work through a skill and remember it is
better to learn one part of a skill well, than three vaguely

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 Chapter 8: Integrating Clinical Skills into the Curriculum

Co-authors: Robin Farrell, Emma Read, Sarah Baillie

Overview: Clinical skills are one of the core domains of competence required by
veterinary graduates and need to be integrated into a curriculum together with
cognitive skills and professional attributes. The approach to teaching and assessment
of clinical and practical skills will be different for each university based on a number of
factors including the type of curriculum and length of course, academic year structure,
timing and type of work-placements, equipment, availability of a clinical skills laboratory
(CSL) or other buildings, and number of students. It can be useful to design a specific
clinical skills theme, course or programme that runs throughout the curriculum to help
signpost these important skills to students, staff and external stakeholders. When
developing or reviewing a clinical skills programme there are a number of key elements
to consider.

What skills to include in the curriculum?

There are existing lists of practical and clinical skills published by the relevant
accrediting bodies and from the literature, which should form the basis of any
curriculum (see also Chapter 2). The lists can be expanded and reviewed as required
through consultation with stakeholders including clinicians, employers, placement
providers and students. Skills should be linked to the relevant stage in the curriculum
and where appropriate aligned with other courses (horizontal integration) and built
upon successively (vertical integration).

What to consider when deciding where in the curriculum to teach clinical skills?
In many veterinary schools the initial practical teaching aims to develop students’
animal handling and husbandry skills, which underpin clinical practice and prepare
students for work-placements on farms, equine establishments, in kennels, etc. Clinical
skills should be timetabled to precede and then complement clinical experience,
whether at veterinary school or in practices as part of extramural studies (EMS) or a
distributed model.

The literature advocates teaching clinical skills early in the curriculum. This is
developed from the idea of a spiral curriculum where topics, subjects and themes are
revisited at increased levels of difficulty (Harden and Laidlaw, 2012). A spiral
curriculum allows for repeated visits to a domain and reinforcement of learning which
in turn lead to better acquisition and retention of skills (Moulton et al., 2006). In reality,
when, where and how practical and clinical skills are integrated into the curriculum will
also depend on resources, facilities and space. If clinical skills teaching begins in the
lower years, there can be more iterations and a more comprehensive list of skills can
be taught and assessed. However, the more extensive the clinical skills course, the
more resources are required.

As discussed in Chapter 7, the student’s intrinsic motivation to practise skills is

important and should not be overlooked. Engagement can be promoted by providing
clinical context for skills, linking skills with basic science to highlight relevance, and

22
implementing a comprehensive programme of assessment (both formative and
summative) to enhance learning as well as ensure competence.

Designing a comprehensive and integrated clinical skills theme or course

A veterinary curriculum’s clinical skills course or ‘vertical theme’ ideally incorporates a
number of factors and the following should be considered:
 Progression of learning:
o Students should start by practising individual skills on task trainers or
bench-top models followed by assessment e.g. an Objective Structured
Clinical Examination (OSCE)
o Progress to combining a group of related skills to perform a procedure
using a model or simulator followed by assessment e.g. an OSCE
o Progress to performing procedures on a live animal under supervision
followed by assessment e.g. Direct Observation of Procedural Skills
(DOPS)
 Taught classes to introduce skills and allow for provision of feedback during
the learning experience
 Timely assessments (summative and formative) and the use of appropriate
assessment methods e.g. OSCE, DOPS
 Development of good teaching practice:
o Train staff on how to teach skills and provide effective feedback and a
safe environment for learning, and for the role of examiner
o Consider training peer tutors, new graduates and technicians to help in
both timetabled taught classes and to support extra practice sessions
 Opportunities for self-directed learning (as deliberate practice is key to
success)
 Supportive learning materials which include the context surrounding the
skills (declarative knowledge) available before, during and following a taught
class
 Provision of instruction booklets, videos and detailed descriptions of how to
perform a skill correctly (procedural knowledge) available before, during and
following a taught class
 ‘Take home’ consumable items for practice e.g. bandages, gloves, suture
materials
 Time (classes timetabled within the curriculum), space (physical) and all
supporting resources (models, videos, instruction booklets, peer tutors,
trained instructors) available for students to practise and remediate
 Opportunities to link to other aspects of the curriculum e.g. the underpinning
basic science, animal husbandry, communication and professional skills,
clinical reasoning and critical thinking, ideally through “putting it all together”
procedure-based practical sessions and simulations

Factors to consider in providing opportunities to practise

Students’ ability to perform psychomotor skills varies and mastery of practical and
clinical skills requires deliberate, repeated practice. Therefore, it is crucial to schedule
sufficient timetabled slots and provide access to the CSL for individualized learning,

23
self-directed learning, remediation and extra help for those struggling with particular
skills. Remember that some skills are harder than others to attain, requiring more time
and practice, and some students may master one skill fairly easily and yet find another
more challenging.

The costs of setting up and maintaining a CSL and its associated resources will affect
the amount of teaching that can be provided and the level of integration of clinical skills
into a curriculum. Resources need to be carefully planned and implemented efficiently
and effectively. The formal curriculum can be complemented by provision of a model
library loan system, online resources and, if feasible and appropriate, an open access
policy. The budget must include purchase of resources (models and consumables e.g.
gloves, catheters and suture materials) for taught classes, additional practice sessions
and assessments. In some institutions, students are responsible for purchasing their
own materials and in this case detailed information concerning which materials are
required and where students can purchase the materials must be available.

Top tips
 Perform a review of clinical and practical skills in the existing curriculum to
identify current teaching and assessment (what, when and how) and map
these to graduate outcomes and published skills lists
 Develop a specific clinical skills ‘theme’ or course that is integrated vertically
throughout the curriculum
 Provide sufficient scheduled slots within the timetable and ideally a drop-in
or open access policy
 Strategically timetable teaching and assessment to complement other
learning activities (didactic, practical and clinical) and drive learning
 Use resources wisely to promote effective and efficient learning (consider
staff time, equipment costs and the need to provide opportunities for
practice)
 Don’t forget assessment; provide a combination of formative and summative
and use valid and reliable methods
 One of the most important factors for success is to assign a member of staff
with a particular interest in clinical skills to champion and lead the clinical
skills theme or course and/or oversee the CSL

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 Chapter 9: Assessment of Clinical Skills

Co-authors: Sarah Baillie, Emma Read, Nicki Coombes

Overview: Assessment of practical and clinical skills is crucial to measure

competence, to identify areas requiring further practice and inevitably will drive
learning. One widely used method is the Objective Structured Clinical Examination
(OSCE) which was introduced in medical education about 40 years ago as a more
standardised, objective and reliable way of assessing certain clinical skills (Harden et
al., 1975; Harden, 1979). The OSCE tests competence at the ‘Shows’ level of Miller’s
pyramid (Miller, 1990) and students are required to demonstrate a technique or skills
in an artificial setting e.g. on a model, rather than in a clinical situation. Therefore
OSCEs are often run in a clinical skills laboratory (CSL).

The OSCE has been widely adopted and adapted in veterinary curricula and in some
cases renamed e.g. Objective Structured PRactical Exam (OSPRE/OSPE), Objective
Structured Practical Veterinary Exam (OSPVE) or Objective Structured Assessment of
Technical Skills (OSATS). Clinical skills are also assessed in the workplace when
students are performing procedures on patients and there are a range of methods used
in medical education e.g. Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS). Workplace-
based assessment (WBA) methods are described in ‘A Guide to Assessment in
Veterinary Medicine’ (Baillie et al., 2014), which is freely available online and therefore
will not be discussed in detail here.

What is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)?

An OSCE consists of multiple mini-stations (typically 10 – 20) often set-up using
temporary dividers or screens positioned around the CSL and the students rotate in
sequence, completing a variety of tasks. Each station in the circuit lasts exactly the
same amount of time e.g. 5 or 6 minutes for basic skills such as gloving. For certain
OSCEs that embrace multiple aspects of a patient interaction e.g. history taking,
physical examination, diagnosis and treatment plan, the station time may be longer
e.g. 15 – 20 minutes. The student reads a scenario, then enters the station to
undertake the task in front of an examiner and then moves on to the next station. The
circuit is often controlled via timed ‘public address’ announcements informing students
what to do next.

The OSCE is now widely adopted in veterinary education at different stages in the
curriculum, formatively and summatively, and may be seen as a ‘rite of passage’ to
work-placements and clinical rotations. In the early years, stations typically test animal
handling skills e.g. placing a muzzle on a dog, turning a sheep, placing a halter on a
calf. In the clinical years, basic and more advanced skills can be assessed e.g.
bandaging a wound, placement of an intravenous catheter, suturing, preparing a blood
smear, and communication skills e.g. history taking. The station set-up varies and can
include: live animals, models, laboratory equipment, and role-players/simulated
clients. A number of example OSCEs can be found on the Royal College of Veterinary
Surgeons (RCVS) website (RCVS VN OSCE Stations), which are used in veterinary
nursing/‘vet tech’ examinations but test similar skills to those taught in veterinary
curricula.

25
What needs to be considered when using OSCEs?
Blueprinting the exam: The selection of stations should sample skills taught in the
course and be mapped to the curriculum and graduate competences. The breadth of
skills to be tested will encompass a range of species involved, as well as the level of
difficulty. With the more holistic OSCE (15 – 20 minutes patient interactions)
blueprinting needs to consider several dimensions of competence within each station
including: stages in a clinical case, body systems and, in veterinary medicine, species.

Preparing the stations: A number of OSCEs testing a range of basic skills are in the
public domain with information available online, which is a useful starting point when
developing stations. A team usually creates or edits material, producing documentation
including scenarios, itemised mark sheets/checklists, equipment lists, examiner
guidelines and examiner comment sheets. Once prepared the station should be
reviewed ideally by both teaching staff and clinical experts. It is also advisable to pilot
each station to determine whether the instructions (scenario) are clear, if the task can
be completed within the allotted time and to identify if the examiner can reset the station
quickly.

Marking: There are two types of marking scheme commonly used in OSCEs either
independently or in combination: detailed checklists and holistic global rating scales.
The checklist has multiple items (often 15 – 25) that the examinee did or did not
complete/undertake. Each item can be equally weighted i.e. 1 or 0 although some
critical steps (e.g. fatal errors, a break in sterility, etc.) may carry a heavier weighting
(more marks) or be a requirement to pass the station. The checklists are usually
accompanied by a global rating scale for the examiner to make a more subjective
judgement (selecting one of 4 - 7 categories with descriptors across the spectrum from
a bad fail to an excellent pass). Traditionally, detailed checklists were considered to be
more objective and reliable than global rating scales. However there is evidence that
global rating scales are more reliable and able to measure increasing levels of
expertise (Regehr et al., 1998) and these are growing in popularity. Examiners should
be encouraged to use the comments section on mark sheets to record any unexpected
events and provide feedback, particularly for students needing to improve. An example
of a mock OSCE marking sheet is shown in Appendix III.

Pass mark: A standard setting method is used to determine a defensible passing

score and the modified Angoff and borderline methods are most commonly used for
OSCEs. The modified Angoff method involves a group of experts each estimating
whether a minimally competent borderline student would or would not successfully
complete a checklist item correctly. The checklist items for each expert are summed
and the average of the group of experts determines the pass score. Another approach
is to use the examination data (both the checklist and global rating scores) to determine
the passing score via a borderline regression or borderline group method. The Angoff
method is labour intensive, requiring 6 to 8 experts whereas once the examination data
are entered for the borderline methods the pass mark is calculated mathematically by
computer.

Examiner training: Training is important and introduces the format to those who have
not encountered OSCEs previously while allowing staff to become familiar with the

26
layout of stations and the running of the whole examination. A mock OSCE (see
Appendix III) can be acted out in front of staff (and students) or recorded and made
available as a video; the performance should include an example of a model student
as well as some of the common issues encountered. Groups of examiners for a
particular station should discuss the running of the station, checklist items and global
rating scale to improve consistency and inter-rater reliability.

Assessing the assessment: Post-hoc analysis allows determination of reliability and

is usually high if there is enough sampling (around 15 - 20 stations). However,
examiners need to be trained and station and inter-rater (examiner) reliability should
be monitored. Poorly performing stations can be identified and improved before being
used again. Overall, OSCEs are considered by students to be fair and objective (Syme-
Grant and Johnstone, 2004) as the same scenarios are presented to all students and
the same marking criteria are applied.

Top tips
 Don’t underestimate the time and resources required to set-up and run
OSCEs
 The OSCE should be blueprinted and piloted prior to use
 Care must be taken to standardise the OSCE across candidates using
objective checklists and/or global rating scales and by training examiners
 OSCEs can be formative or summative
 Standard setting should be used to determine a cut score for minimally
acceptable performance rather than reliance on an arbitrary pass mark
 Assessing the assessment is critical, including gathering feedback from staff
and students, to avoid repeating mistakes and to allow improvement of the
exam with repeated deployment
 OSCEs are typically run in CSLs where students demonstrate skills in an
artificial setting often on models. There are other methods for assessing
clinical and procedural skills in the workplace e.g. DOPS

27
 Chapter 10: Short Reviews

A: Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)

B: An Online Forum: Network Of Veterinarians in Continuing Education (NOVICE)

C: Are Students Learning Useful Skills?

D: Student Emotions When Learning Surgical Skills

E: Contextualised Simulation

28
A: Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)

Author: Naomi Booth

Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) has been defined as “people from similar social
groupings who are not professional teachers, helping each other to learn and learning
themselves by teaching” (Topping, 2005). It is a teaching concept which has gained
wider recognition amongst veterinary educators resulting in the implementation of PAL
programmes involving haptic technology and surgical skills across a number of
veterinary schools (Baillie et al., 2009; Booth et al., 2013). There are pedagogic,
academic and professional benefits, notably:

 Peer Tutor benefits: Development of teaching skills and attributes,

improvements in content-related knowledge and skills, increased
responsibility, confidence, communication and self-directed skills
 Peer Learner benefits: Development of knowledge and skills, with
increased opportunities for questioning in a less threatening environment.
Increased confidence and personal responsibility

A well designed PAL programme provides benefits to all involved and is hugely
rewarding, however if designed and implemented poorly results in disengagement.
Ross and Cameron (2007) provide in-depth guidance to PAL implementation in
medical curricula and readers may also find ‘Twelve Tips for Peer-Assisted Learning’
(Wadoodi and Crosby, 2002) to be a useful reference.

29
B: An Online Forum: ‘Veterinary Clinical Skills & Simulation’ Group in NOVICE

Co-authors: Sarah Baillie, Emma Crowther

The ‘Network of Veterinarians in Continuing Education’ or NOVICE is a free online

forum developed to enable veterinarians, students and educationalists to share ideas
and good practice.

1) To join the network go to www.noviceproject.eu

2) Follow the link to register and create an account. An administrator will verify the
details and you will receive an email confirmation (usually within 24 hours)
3) Login to NOVICE
4) On the home screen follow the latest news and activities. Within NOVICE, you can
do the following:
 Join groups relating to your interests e.g. Veterinary Clinical Skills & Simulation
(Figure 3)
 Make connections with colleagues in your field
 Follow and contribute to discussions
 Write and read blogs e.g. from conferences
 Share files and photos
 Collate information in group wikis e.g. lists of skills
 Ask questions e.g. ‘Has anyone found a model for teaching…?’
 Share tips e.g. ‘We’ve just found ‘x’ works really well for making ‘y’…’

Figure 3: The ‘Veterinary Clinical Skills & Simulation’ group in NOVICE

30
C: Are Students Learning Useful Skills?

Author: Sarah Baillie

The skills students develop on a model or during simulation-based training are often
presumed to transfer to the real task and result in improved performance. The
assumption is not unreasonable and may have been borne out by many years of
experience and teaching. However, in reality there are three possible outcomes:

i) Improved performance
ii) No effect
iii) Equipped with inappropriate skills but almost invariably increased
confidence, which would have a negative outcome for trainee and patient

Therefore, studies should be undertaken to evaluate models and simulators to validate

their effectiveness as teaching tools.

Validity embraces a number of criteria (Table 2) which have been defined in medical
education and can be used to evaluate the design and performance of models and
simulators.

Table 2: Criteria for evaluating the design and performance of models and simulators

Validity Criteria specific to clinical skills models and simulation-based training

criteria tools

Face Is the model or simulator realistic (enough), believable, credible?

Content How much of the task being modelled has been represented?
Construct Do experts perform better on the model or simulator than novices?
Predictive Does the measurement of skill predict future performance?
Concurrent Do performance measurements agree with those made by other methods?
Reliability Are consistent results produced over time and under different conditions?
Feasibility Would using the simulator be practical? What resources are required?

In veterinary medicine studies have demonstrated that students trained on models

develop useful skills (Fox et al., 2013; Lumbis et al., 2012) including in some instances,
improved performance during the real task (Baillie et al., 2005).

However, as illustrated in a systematic review of simulation-based training in human

medicine (McGaghie et al., 2010) providing evidence of the impact on learning can be
difficult. Those running CSLs and developing models should not be deterred but should
consider the validity of any model or teaching tool being used and where possible
undertake studies that contribute to the body of evidence being generated to support
simulation-based training.

McGaghie et al. (2010) developed guidelines for designing simulators in order to

promote learning. These provide a useful reference when developing clinical skill
models and teaching tools and when designing studies.

31
D: Student Emotions When Learning Surgical Skills

Author: Rikke Langebæk

During surgical training students need to learn to use skills in new combinations and
under novel circumstances. Optimal learning requires both motivation and a feeling of
safety (Eraut, 2004; Illeris and Andersen, 2004). However, in a surgical setting
students rarely feel safe, instead experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress
(Langebæk et al., 2012) which are likely to have a negative impact on skill acquisition
(Eysenck, 1979; Reschly et al., 2008).

There are benefits if students’ levels of anxiety for surgical training can be reduced.
Therefore, clinical skills laboratories (CSLs) have an important role to play and it has
been demonstrated that participating in a surgical skills practical with stuffed toy animal
models can help reduce student anxiety (Langebæk et al., 2012).

Fortunately, anxiety is not the only emotion experienced by students prior to surgery.
A large proportion are also excited when about to experience their first surgical
procedure, describing the emotion as ‘being anxious in a nice way’ or ‘nervous’ but
‘looking forward to’ surgery (Langebæk et al., 2012). Additionally, in a CSL most
students enjoy and look forward to training on models. There is a motivational aspect
to feeling excited which in turn will benefit and contribute to learning during surgical
training.

Overall, a CSL can make a major contribution and assist with students’ preparation for
performing surgical procedures on live animals by reducing anxiety levels but without
compromising motivation. Additionally, some students will benefit from being able to
return to the CSL in their own time when not under the scrutiny of a teacher or feeling
pressured by other students.

32
E: Contextualised Simulation

Author: Sarah Baillie

Clinical skills laboratories (CSLs) provide an excellent environment in which students

are taught and can practise a range of technical skills. However, focusing purely on
technical skills can be an over simplification and only represents one part of the clinical
competence ‘jigsaw’. In human medicine there has been a move to include other skills
in simulations such as communication skills, decision making, situational awareness,
professionalism, team work and leadership. The aim is to incorporate multiple aspects
of the clinical setting and patient encounter, placing the technical skill in context while
still allowing the trainee to practise in a safe environment (Kneebone and Baillie 2008).

Examples of contextualised or ‘patient focused’ simulation include attaching a suture

pad to the arm of a role-player/simulated patient (Kneebone et al., 2006), practising
gynaecological examinations using a hybrid simulator consisting of a bench-top model
and role-player (Higham et al., 2007) and in veterinary medicine using a bovine
simulator to undertake a fertility visit in the presence of a ‘farmer’ (Baillie et al., 2010).
As well as enabling the trainee to integrate skills, the role-player can provide feedback.
Trainees can practise a standard encounter e.g. combining history taking and clinical
reasoning with a practical task, while maintaining professionalism. More challenging
situations can be presented e.g. attempting to suture or inject an angry or drunk patient,
or by sabotaging the scenario e.g. the role-player leads the trainee down the wrong
path and into making a mistake. In such situations the trainee, instructor or role-player
can call a ‘time-out’, discuss the problem, roll-back the scenario and then repeat the
simulation.

In human medicine contextualised simulation has been shown to improve face

validity (realism) and trainee performance (Nikendei et al., 2007). The simulation
does not necessarily need to be ‘high tech’ and opportunities to adopt a more
integrated approach in veterinary medicine should be considered as CSLs provide
the ideal setting.

33
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34
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39
 Appendix I: A Page from a Clinical Skill Station Instruction Booklet
Example booklet: Please note techniques vary at different veterinary schools, this is just to demonstrate the template

Clinical Skills: The name of

the station is
repeated here.

Safe use of needles

1 2 3

Select the appropriate size of Peel the packaging off the Take care not to touch the hub
needle and syringe for the needle, from the hub end – of the needle or put it on a
species and size of animal you flaps are provided to make this surface, so that you preserve
are injecting, and the volume easy. sterility.
and viscosity of drug. Some
drugs e.g. meloxicam, are thin
so draw up and inject easily -
use a narrow (higher G
number) needle; others such
as potentiated amoxicillin are
very thick and you will need a To open needles in plastic packaging, press and turn the top
wider (low G) needle. See last (green, see arrows), and remove the top. Don’t touch the hub of
page for more information. the needle, and connect the syringe without removing the needle
from the cap.

4 5 6

Peel off the packaging from You should take care not to Connect the needle and
the syringe, using the flaps touch the tip of the syringe to syringe whilst the needle cap
provided. You can touch the maintain sterility. is still on the needle.
barrel and plunger of the
syringe.
Each image is numbered, to
make it easy to follow each
step in turn. Whenever
possible, an image is included
above a text box explaining the
next step.

40
 Appendix II: Example Clinical Skills Laboratory Layouts

University of Bristol, UK (in a repurposed large animal operating theatre)

University of Hannover Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Germany (in a repurposed

small animal clinic)

5m
41
 Appendix III: An Example OSCE Score Sheet

Clinical Skills
OSCE #X
VetM 305 ☐ Student Examiner
VetM 405 ☐
Label Here Label Here
VetM 505 ☐

Station Name:
Making a peanut butter
and jam sandwich
Date of Exam: Click here to enter.

The candidate should do the following (insert more lines if Yes No

needed):
Preparing for the task (3 marks total):
1. Wears clean clothes (1 mark) ○ ○
2. Observes basic bio-safety protocols for food preparation ○ ○
including hand sanitization (1 mark)
3. Used thirty second contact time for hand sanitizer (1 ○ ○
mark)
Making the sandwich (7 marks total):
4. Selects two slices of bread (1 mark) ○ ○
5. Places slices on paper towel (1 mark) ○ ○
6. Applies No Nut butter sparingly on one side of each ○ ○
piece of bread (1 mark)
7. Utilizes a separate utensil for obtaining and applying No ○ ○
Nut butter (2 marks)
8. Applies a liberal amount of jam over one slice of bread ○ ○
over top of the No Nut butter (1 mark)
9. Utilizes a separate utensil for obtaining and applying the ○ ○
jam (1 mark)

42
 Appendix III: An Example OSCE Score Sheet (continued)

Avoids cross contamination (3 marks total):

1. Does not cross contaminate the jam by “double dipping” ○ ○
into the jar (3 marks)
Finishes making the sandwich (2 marks):

2. Presses the two pieces of bread with the jam and peanut ○ ○
butter in the centre making a sandwich (1 mark)
3. Cuts the sandwich in half (1 mark) ○ ○
Cleans up (1 mark)

4. Tidies the prep area and closes containers ( 1 mark) ○ ○

Total marks for this station: 16 marks

Fatal Flaws: (A student automatically fails the station if they

commit any of the following errors regardless of whether Yes No
they can actually perform the task given).
Student endangers self during the station (e.g. cuts themselves) ○ ○
Student endangers the examiner during the station
Details of the incident:

Global rating score:

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
1 2 3 4 5 6
Inferior Poor Borderline Borderline Good Excellent
Unsatisfactory Satisfactory
I have read and verified the above marking sheet including, making sure that every
line item has a bubble filled in, all fatal flaws are explained and that I assigned a
global score based on my personal opinion of how the candidate has performed.

Signature of examiner:
______________________________________________________

43
 A Guide to Veterinary
Clinical Skills Laboratories