The impact of clinical placements on the emotional intelligence of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, and business students: a longitudinal study

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a critical skill for healthcare practitioners. Minimal longitudinal research has tracked the changes in EI of therapy students over their final full-time clinical placements. Methods: The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i2.0) measured the EI of 283 therapy students and 93 business students (control group who do no clinical placements) at three time points over a 16-month period, the same period that the therapy students participated in clinical placements. Results: Analysis of the therapy students showed significant increases over the 16 months of the study in Total EI score, as well as nine other EI skills. However, large percentages of students reported declining scores in emotional expression, assertiveness, self-expression, and stress tolerance, with some students reporting low EI scores before commencing full-time extended clinical placements. Conclusions: The study contributes to new knowledge about the changing EI skills of therapy students as they complete their full-time, extended placements. Emotional intelligence in student therapists should be actively fostered during coursework, clinical placements and when first entering the workforce. University educators are encouraged to include EI content through the therapy curricula. Employers are encouraged to provide peer coaching, mentoring and workshops focused on EI skills to recent graduates

Medicolegal aspects of minimally invasive urologic surgery

Among the myriad concerns and complexities for the practicing urologist, the potential for medical malpractice claims is one of the most troubling and frustrating situations. The physician is often unknowledgeable and poorly prepared for these events, with little emphasis on this aspect of medicine in either medical school or residency training. Only when these unfortunate cases arise does one obtain on-the-job training regarding our legal system, tort law, risk management, and how to avoid malpractice litigation. Herein we discuss relevant medicolegal issues for urologists performing laparoscopic and robotic-assisted procedures. © 2010 Humana Press