The costs and benefits of clinical education

Abstract

Although health care facilities must invest staff time, cope with supervisory stress, provide materials, allocate space, and pay student stipends, they receive many benefits by participating in clinical education programs for students of the allied health professions. The primary benefit is the opportunity to recruit graduates. This allows for increased revenue from student contributions that offsets the expense of staff time spent on teaching. Another benefit is the maintenance and upgrading of staff skills. Methods to calculate these costs and benefits are available but not standardized.