Moving from a clinical background to teaching can be a very difficult change for health professionals.
Now a new book, Educating Health Professionals: Becoming a University Teacher, co- edited by Professor Elaine Duffy, Head of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University, will help them make the transition from clinic to classroom.
The book is an attempt to help professionals consider the kind of student they’ll be teaching, the kind of workforce they will be sending them into, the system that workforce operates in and whether their graduates have the skills to adapt and advocate for reform in the health system.
“The future of health care is preventative and collaborative, so the future health professional needs to have the knowledge of what other health professionals can offer to form effective teams,” said Professor Duffy.
“Advocacy is important, leadership is important. Contemporary teachers need to understand that our future professionals need the skills to engage in those areas.
“Primary health care is the key to an effective health care system in which prevention is the focus.
“Health systems and services must come from the needs of the community, families and patients, not the professionals down; it’s a method of analyses which must be taught.” She said.
As well as editing, Professor Duffy has also contributed two chapters to the book including one on Indigenous issues in health education, co-authored with Indigenous nurse, academic and researcher, Mr. Wayne (Colin) Rigby.
“We still struggle with racism, like many others and like any institution we still struggle to be flexible with people who may arrive at the same conclusion from a different path. Hopefully this book will help with some of those issues.”
Book is available at: www.sensepublishers.com