ABSTRACT

Striving to respond to clients' pressing social needs while simultaneously providing solid educational experiences for students leaves many field instructors vulnerable to burnout. Rather than viewing burnout as an individual ailment, this article focuses on the organizational demands that produce role overload in the field instructor. Preventive responses emphasize the importance of replenishing energy, clarifying role expectations, and negotiating realistic responsibilities. Efforts which the university-based fieldwork liaison can take to reduce burnout in fieldwork instructors include careful assessment when recruiting field instructors, problem exploration, clarification, and advocacy with ongoing field instructors, and providing ample opportunities for field instructors to acquire new learning.