Why teaching is part of every clinician's job
Every UK healthcare regulator expects registrants to share their knowledge. The GMC's Good medical practice includes contributing to teaching and supporting colleagues. The NMC Code asks nurses, midwives and nursing associates to share skills and experience for the benefit of patients and colleagues. HCPC and GPhC standards say similar things.
Most clinical teaching does not happen in a lecture room. It happens on ward rounds, at handover, in clinic, in the ambulance and in two-minute conversations between tasks. Nurses and midwives may also act as practice supervisors or practice assessors for students under the NMC Standards for student supervision and assessment. Doctors teach medical students, foundation doctors and the wider team.
The good news is that effective teaching depends far more on a few simple habits than on charisma or slides.
How do adults learn? Three ideas worth knowing
You do not need a deep theory background, but three ideas shape almost every good clinical teaching session.
| Idea | What it says | What it means for your teaching |
|---|---|---|
| Adult learning (Knowles) | Adults bring experience, want to know why, and learn best when it solves real problems | Start from what learners already know and link every point to real patients |
| Kolb's experiential cycle | Learning moves from experience, to reflection, to theory, to trying again | Prompt reflection after a case, because learners often skip it |
| Miller's pyramid | Competence rises from knows, to knows how, to shows how, to does | A talk builds knowledge; only practice and observation build skill |
How do you plan a teaching session?
Most weak sessions fail at the planning stage. Before you open any slides, answer three questions. Who are my learners and what do they already know? What should they be able to do by the end? How will I know they can do it?
Writing learning outcomes
A learning outcome describes what the learner will be able to do. Use verbs you can observe, such as list, calculate, interpret, demonstrate or prioritise. Avoid understand, know and appreciate, because you cannot see them happen. Two or three outcomes are plenty for a short session.
By the end of this session learners will understand sepsis and know about the sepsis pathway.
By the end of this 45-minute session, newly qualified nurses will be able to: identify a patient at risk of sepsis using NEWS2 and the local screening tool; list the immediate actions in the trust sepsis pathway; and demonstrate an SBAR escalation call for a patient with suspected sepsis.
The strong version tells you exactly what to teach and how to check it. If an outcome is to demonstrate an SBAR call, the session must include practising one. This link between outcomes, activities and assessment is often called constructive alignment.
A simple structure: set, dialogue, closure
- Set (about the first tenth): Gain attention with a short real case or question, explain why the topic matters, find out what learners already know and share the outcomes.
- Dialogue (most of the time): Teach in chunks of around ten minutes, each followed by an activity such as a question, a case or practice. Check understanding as you go.
- Closure (the last tenth): Ask learners to summarise the key points, check the outcomes were met, and point to further learning. Do not let a late start eat this part.
How to teach on a busy shift: the one-minute preceptor and SNAPPS
When a learner presents a patient to you, the temptation is to give the answer and move on. The one-minute preceptor, also called the five microskills model, turns that moment into focused teaching in a couple of minutes.
- Get a commitment: Ask what they think is going on, or what they would do.
- Probe for evidence: Ask what led them to that view. This shows their reasoning and any gaps.
- Teach a general rule: Give one short point they can use with other patients.
- Reinforce what went well: Name a specific thing they did right.
- Correct mistakes: Address any error clearly and kindly, and say what to do next time.
SNAPPS suits more senior learners and puts them in charge. The learner Summarises the case briefly, Narrows the differential to two or three options, Analyses them, Probes the teacher about uncertainties, Plans management, and Selects a related topic for self-directed learning. It makes it normal to say what you are unsure about.
How do you teach a practical skill?
Peyton's four-step approach is widely used for skills such as cannulation, catheterisation, inhaler technique or manual handling.
- Demonstrate: Perform the skill at normal speed without commentary, so the learner sees what good looks like.
- Deconstruct: Repeat it slowly, explaining each step and why it matters.
- Comprehend: The learner talks you through the steps while you perform them. This checks they understand the sequence.
- Perform: The learner performs the skill while describing each step, with you observing and giving feedback.
Use a manikin or simulation first wherever possible. When a learner moves on to real patients, follow your local policy on supervision and sign-off for that procedure.
Bedside and small group teaching
At the bedside
- Ask the patient's permission beforehand without learners present, so they feel free to say no.
- Include the patient in the conversation and avoid jargon that may worry them.
- Keep sensitive discussion, such as prognosis or differential diagnoses like cancer, away from the bedside.
- Thank the patient and check they are comfortable before you leave.
In small groups
With four to twelve learners, your job shifts from telling to facilitating. Avoid turning the session into a mini lecture.
- Use cases that learners discuss in pairs before sharing with the group.
- Move from recall questions to reasoning questions, such as what would you do next and why.
- After asking a question, wait a few seconds. Silence gives people time to think.
- Direct questions gently, and never use them to embarrass. Learners who fear embarrassment hide their gaps, and hidden gaps are a safety risk.
- If one person dominates, thank them and invite others by name.
Giving feedback and evaluating your teaching
Feedback is where much of the learning happens. Keep it timely, specific, based on what you saw, and limited to one or two points the learner can act on. Pendleton's rules and agenda-led models such as ALOBA give useful structure; our separate guide on feedback in clinical supervision covers them in detail.
Evaluation tells you whether your teaching worked. Kirkpatrick's model describes four levels: reaction, learning, behaviour and results. Most feedback forms only measure reaction, so try to go one level further, for example by repeating a short exercise a few weeks later.
- Use a short form of three or four questions.
- Look for patterns rather than reacting to one comment.
- Ask a colleague to observe and agree beforehand what they should focus on.
- Change one or two things, then write a short reflection.
Case study: turning a slide-heavy talk into teaching that changes practice
Kemi is a charge nurse on a surgical ward. She is asked to teach healthcare assistants and new nurses about pressure ulcer prevention. Her first session is 35 slides of text, delivered in 50 minutes. Feedback is polite but vague. A week later, a new nurse is unsure how to complete the skin assessment that Kemi had covered.
Kemi reflects that she tried to cover everything and gave learners nothing to do, so they stayed at the knows level of Miller's pyramid. For the next group she writes three outcomes: complete the ward's risk assessment tool for a given patient, identify early skin damage from photographs, and plan repositioning for a high-risk patient.
She cuts to six slides. Most of the time is spent completing the risk tool on two mock patient records in pairs, and practising a skin check on a colleague with consent, using Peyton's steps for positioning. She closes by asking each learner to name one action they will take on their next shift.
Feedback is more specific, and a colleague who observed notes how much the learners talked. Kemi records both plans, the feedback and a short reflection for her revalidation portfolio.
Taking your teaching further
Good clinical teaching is a learnable skill. Start with one change: write observable outcomes for your next session, or try the one-minute preceptor on your next shift. Ask for feedback on your teaching just as you would on your clinical work.
Our course Teaching Skills for Healthcare Professionals works through these methods with a complete worked lesson plan and evaluation example. If you supervise learners regularly, Clinical Supervision and Giving Feedback goes deeper into feedback conversations, and Leadership and Team Working in the NHS covers the wider skills of leading and developing a team.
Frequently asked questions
What is the one-minute preceptor model?
It is a five-step model for teaching during a learner's case presentation. You ask the learner to commit to a view, probe their reasoning, teach one general rule, praise something specific they did well, and correct any mistake. It turns a routine presentation into focused teaching in a few minutes, which suits busy wards and clinics.
What is Peyton's four-step approach?
It is a method for teaching practical skills. The teacher demonstrates at normal speed, then repeats the skill slowly with explanation. Next the learner talks the teacher through it, and finally the learner performs it while describing each step. It works well for procedures and is best practised on manikins or in simulation first.
How do I write learning outcomes for a teaching session?
Describe what learners will be able to do by the end, using observable verbs such as list, calculate, interpret or demonstrate. Avoid vague verbs like understand or know. Keep to two or three outcomes for a short session, and make sure your activities and your end-of-session check match each outcome.
Do nurses have to teach students?
The NMC Code expects nurses, midwives and nursing associates to share their skills and experience with colleagues and students. Under the NMC Standards for student supervision and assessment, registered professionals act as practice supervisors, and suitably prepared nurses and midwives act as practice assessors. Your employer and university will explain local preparation for these roles.
How can I get teaching experience as a junior doctor?
Offer to teach medical students on placement, run short sessions for your foundation group, join local teaching programmes or simulation faculty, and ask a senior to observe and give feedback. Keep plans, feedback summaries and reflections in your portfolio, as they show development over time for appraisal and specialty applications.
How do I evaluate my teaching?
Use a short feedback form, but try to go beyond whether learners enjoyed it. Kirkpatrick's model suggests looking at learning, behaviour change and results too. You might repeat a short exercise later, ask a colleague to observe, or look at whether practice changed. Reflect on what you will change and record it.
Does teaching count as CPD for revalidation?
Preparing and delivering teaching can contribute to your learning and is often strong evidence of development. For NMC revalidation, check the NMC guidance on what counts as CPD and participatory learning. Doctors can include teaching and its evaluation in appraisal under the GMC's requirements. Always reflect on what you learned, not just what you delivered.
Related courses
Teaching Skills for Healthcare Professionals
This practical course teaches you how to plan and deliver effective teaching in clinical settings, from a formal session to five minutes at the…
Clinical Supervision and Giving Feedback
This course explains the different kinds of supervision used in UK healthcare, how to set up a supervisory relationship that works, and how to give…
Leadership and Team Working in the NHS
This course explains what leadership means for every healthcare professional, not only managers, and teaches practical skills for leading a shift or…
Sources and further reading
- Good medical practice (2024). General Medical Council.
- Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training. General Medical Council.
- Standards for student supervision and assessment. Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour. Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- Standards of education and training. Health and Care Professions Council.
- Professional Standards for medical, dental and veterinary educators. Academy of Medical Educators.
Practitioner Insight is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC, MPTS, NMC, HCPC, GPhC or any NHS organisation, and this information is not legal advice. If you have been referred to a regulator, speak to your defence organisation, trade union or legal representative.
More guides
Giving Feedback in Clinical Supervision: Pendleton and Other Models
Pendleton's feedback model explained with a worked example, plus SET-GO, Ask Tell Ask and R2C2, and how to give feedback well in clinical supervision.
Leadership Skills for NHS Staff: Leading Shifts, Teams and Change
Leadership skills for NHS staff: how to lead a shift, delegate safely, communicate in a crisis, manage conflict and lead small changes, with worked examples.
Time Management and Prioritisation for Busy Healthcare Workers
Time management and prioritisation for healthcare workers: how to prioritise by clinical risk, organise a task list, handle interruptions and escalate safely.