HSPnet - Glossary

For the purposes of designing and building the HSPnet system, we need to use common terminology in order to ensure we communicate effectively about the workflows to be supported and the system's required functionality. The following terms are therefore proposed for use throughout the project, and others may be developed in the coming months.

Agency Site: Building or physical site of an agency (St. Paul's Hospital site, Langara Campus, etc.)

Cohort: A group of students that move together through an educational program. Example: 2nd year xxxxxxx program, entering Fall 2002 at xxxx college/university

Contact/Supervisor Type - Can include:

Instructor or Course Leader (from educational institution)
Field Guide (not necessarily from same discipline as the student)
Clinical Educator/Preceptor (same discipline, maintains relationship with student throughout the placement)
Placing/Receiving Agency Contact(s) (Education Services Manager, etc.)
Trainer (individual can change during a placement)

Discipline: A health sciences field of expertise such as Nursing, Medical Radiography, or Pharmacy.

(Educational) Program - A set of educational requirements leading to an established designation or competency such as BScN, Medical Radiography Technician, or Pharmacist.

Instructor- led Group Placement: A placement request involving two or more individuals that share a single instructor at a single destination. However a group of students with a single instructor may be split across two or more destinations (such as wards) at a single agency site.

Inter-Agency Placements: An HSPnet transaction involving placement of one organization's employee for training within another organization. Inter-agency placements occur within organizations that typically play the role of Receiving Agency (e.g. hospital to hospital placement).

Internal Placement: An HSPnet transaction involving an organization's placement of an employee as a student or trainee within the same organization.

Participating Agency: A "member" of the HSPnet user community; typically a Placing Agency (educational organization) or a Receiving Agency (health services provider).

Placement: The primary "transaction unit" of HSPnet. It will include a start and end date with one or more physical placement destinations. It is associated with a single student, educational program, Receiving Agency and Placing Agency.

Placement Destination: The physical or virtual location in which the student will complete their placement experience (e.g. 6th floor Surgical Ward, Ward 2B, Parkgate CHC)

Placement Type - This can include:

Instructor-led Group
Projects (don't involve direct care, students function independently)
Preceptorships (involve direct care, supervision by an individual of the same discipline)
Observational Experience (involves a supervisor)
Alternate Experience (involves spending a portion of a placement in an alternate destination within the same receiving agency)

Placing Agency: Typically a health sciences educational institution that initiates a student placement, but can be any organization that places a student (e.g. an organization that initiates an inter-agency or internal placement).

Placing Coordinator: The individual who initiates the placement request.

Preceptor: An identified experienced practitioner who provides transitional role support and learning experiences within a collegial relationship for a specific time, while continuing to perform some or all of the other responsibilities of their position.

Program (Educational): A set of educational requirements leading to an established designation or competency such as BScN, Medical Radiography Technician, or Pharmacist.

Receiving Agency - The agency (typically but not necessarily a health service organization) that receives a student placement request. The Receiving Agency represents the legal entity (the health authority, private laboratory, etc.) as opposed to the placement destination or site.

Receiving Coordinator - The individual who receives and coordinates the processing of a placement request

Role: A function or part performed, especially in a particular operation or process.

Service Area: A specialty/program area of a service provider, typically in a Receiving Agency. Examples: hospital surgical or labour/delivery program; community Home Care Nursing program.

Student: An individual enrolled in an educational Program and involved in a student placement. Includes employees of an agency that use HSPnet to track inter-agency employee placements and/or internal placements.

Trainer: Individuals working within a Participating Agency and responsible for training other users within that agency using a "train-the-trainer" approach.

User: An individual user of HSPnet.

[1] Practice Ready versus Job Ready, taken from Mentoring in Healthcare - Instructor Manual, Healthcare Labour Adjustment Agency, 1.3.2, 2001.