The Importance of Logbooks

At Provisional Psychologist Hub the most common challenge we hear provisional psychologists having is the timely completion of logbooks. Completing logbooks, albeit an administrative task associated with an internship program, is one of the most important tasks to undertake.

The Psychology Board of Australia states that the logbook is used for recording and reflecting on the three key components of the internship: psychological practice, professional development and supervision. Further, the record of practice section must be signed by the provisional psychologist and sighted and signed by the principal supervisor regularly - usually weekly or fortnightly for part-time provisional psychologists.

There are some common consequences we see supervisees receive when not completing their internship program logbooks regularly or accurately;

• Inability to calculate whether they are receiving enough supervision to psychological practice (1:17 hours ratio)
• Internship reporting periods not being approved and therefore psychological practice hours and supervision hours discounted
• Additional time being added onto an internship program
• Progress reports being delayed and/or completed late against the guidelines
• Psychological Practice hours being missed or recorded inaccurately
• Principal supervisors having to provide progress reports to the Psychology Board of Australia with the last known hours logged, missing hours of psychological practice the supervisee has completed
• Insufficient supervision for psychological practice being undertaken
• Delays in noticing internship progress falling behind
• Demonstration of poor recording keeping and records management
• Supervisors unable to sign incomplete or inaccurate logbooks requiring the supervisee to make amendments
• Delaying processes such as changing principal supervisors
• Secondary supervisors no longer being contactable or available for signature, therefore leaving logbooks unsigned
• Inability for principal supervisors to continue to provide supervision without oversight of psychological practice
• Delays to being able to submit an application for general registration and assessment of competence

 The purpose of logbooks includes allowing the principal supervisor to have oversight of your clinical practice, tracking your progress towards competency and tracking hours towards the internship program. If logbooks are not completed there is no record of any psychological practice hours being completed and therefore you are not progressing in the internship program. It is the obligation of the supervisee to read and understand the internship program guidelines, undertake the correct amount of supervision, complete the correct amount of professional development and complete accurate logbooks.

We strongly recommend setting up great habits from the outset of your internship by getting into the daily or weekly routine of completing logbooks as you go. If you are partway through your internship it is not too late to get started with a new, consistent and helpful approach to logbooks. To assist supervisees to stay on top of their logbooks we have put together Navigating the Psychology Board of Australia: Logbooks. For those completing the 4+2 or 5+1 internship program – this is a MUST DO to make sure you maximise your time, efficiency and ensure you are upholding your obligations of being a provisional psychologist.

**Article written by Director and Board Approved Supervisor, Susie Upton**

Seek Support

If you need support with your logbooks we recommend the following miniseries: 

Internship Logbooks
(1 hour and 45 minutes including readings)  

This 5 part series is for those commencing an internship program on their pathway to general registration. The facilitators will help provisional psychologists navigate the process involved in logging psychological practice, professional development and supervision for both the 5+1 and 4+2 internships. This workshop includes case studies, examples and a bonus downloadable logbook with built in supervision ratio tracker. 

Non Subscribers: purchase the stand alone miniseries CLICK HERE

Subscribers:  Available in week 1 https://www.provisionalpsych.com.au/products/professional-development-for-provisional-psychologists/categories/2150117749/posts/2156993059 

30 Day Free Trial: Access this workshop as part of our 30 day free trial offer CLICK HERE