Supporting Learners for Success

It is normal for a learner to struggle a bit as they put into practice new skills and apply academic learning in the clinical ‘real life’ environment. By definition, a learner who is “struggling” is performing below expectations in knowledge, attitude or skill sets.1   Learners may struggle to various degrees and for various reasons in different areas during a placement, which may place them at risk of not meeting course expectations.

The good news is that with early intervention, support and utilizing various strategies, it can lead to better outcomes! 

We encourage you to:

      1. Reach out early to the course coordinator and/or Faculty Liaison for support. Whatever the concern or difficulty, we are available and here to support you and your learner during the placement experience.

      2. Utilize the Preceptor Guidebook available which describes the approaches to supporting a learner and offers options of strategies for preceptors and students in various areas learners may be experiencing difficulty.

Other resources

Preceptor Development Session

Presentation:  Preceptor Connection: Precepting Struggling Students 
Presented by Dr. Ann Thompson, Director, Experiential Education, Clinical Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

  • Session details: This session outlines factors that may contribute to students struggling and discusses strategies preceptors can use to support learners in difficulty.
    Video (54 min), Dec. 5, 2023
    Presentation Slides         

Reference:  1. Davis LE, Miller ML, Raub JN, Gortney JS. Constructive ways to prevent, identify, and remediate deficiencies of “challenging trainees” in experiential education. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 2016;73(13):996–1009.

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