The benefits of practicums for both students and employers were the focus of an event this week that featured a discussion led by Brock University Distinguished Graduate Mahoganie Hines (BScN ’16).

Hines, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Palliative Care Unit at St. Peter’s Hospital in Hamilton, explored the symbiotic relationships formed during Master of Applied Gerontology (MAG) practicums at the third Reimagining Aging Speaker Series lecture on Tuesday, July 16 in Pond Inlet.

Drawing from her two years of experience supervising MAG students in practicums, Hines discussed how students and partnering organizations contribute unique strengths and resources to create mutually supportive environments where both sides can thrive.

“Partners should take practicums as seriously as the students do and thoughtfully consider the projects they propose to students,” says Hines. “The hopes and intent of practicums should not only be to create a safe learning environment for students to cultivate the skills and knowledge they have learned in their program, but also a place where both partners and students can learn and grow from the experience.”

Joining Hines in the discussion were two students she supervised as part of their MAG practicums, Chloe Tse (MAG ’23), who graduated last October, and Sophia Avolio, who is currently completing a practicum with Hines at St. Peter’s Hospital.

Tse is putting her practicum project into practice as a Bereavement Specialist at Hospice, where she collaborates with nearly a dozen community partners to offer grief support groups to long-term care home residents. Her research has also expanded to offer support to residents’ families and long-term care home staff members.

Following the speaker series discussion, Master of Applied Gerontology students presented their practicum projects to fellow students and community partners. In this photo Carina Bateman (left) discusses her project on recreation therapy with Lynne Rousseau from Happy in my Home Community Support Services of Niagara.

She says her practicum experience has been instrumental to her current role and the mentorship she received from Hines positively impacted her personal and professional growth.

“Mahoganie valued me as a person and appreciated the work I did, which helped build my confidence,” says Tse. “She generously shared her knowledge and connected me with the right stakeholders. Beyond that, she impacted me with her genuine personality, professionalism and perspectives on service provision, the health-care system, equity and other essential values of a humanistic practitioner.”

In her practicum, Avolio is working on a quality improvement initiative aimed at preventing and mitigating moral distress, burnout and fatigue of palliative care nurses at St. Peter’s Hospital.

As Avolio’s supervisor, Hines has supported her by connecting her with the right people, sharing relevant resources and knowledge.

“My supervisor wasn’t there to tell me what to do, she was there to support me and help me piece my project together,” says Avolio.

She suggests employers propose meaningful and relevant projects to students that will both motivate students to learn and work while also offering the organization a valuable outcome.

“While we, the students, are in practicums to learn and help the organization, there are also aspects where the partners can learn from us and adapt the projects and make this experience beneficial for both,” she says.

Following the Reimagining Aging Speaker Series discussion, current MAG students presented posters summarizing their practicum experiences. Each poster highlighted an applied student-led, evidence-informed, quality improvement project currently underway at more than 15 local health or community support organizations in the Niagara region and surrounding areas.