Reengineering student nurses
placements
Aim
To provide an overview of how placement areas for
student nurses have been used differently to provide
longer placements and ensure the students
experience reflects contemporary, patient focused
practice
NN NMC Requirements for the
Preregistration Nursing
Programme
• 50% per cent of the programme is placement
learning
• Students need to undertake a minimum of
2300hours of practice learning over 3 years
• Placements need to be audited ( at least every 2
years)
• Clinical mentors have to undergo a NMC
preparation course to enter a mentor register and
then meet annual update and triennial review
requirements to stay on the mentor register
Context
•
•
•
•
2 intakes a years
6 cohorts of students
Up to 2000 students at any one time
Students studying for different parts of nursing
register, child, mental health and adult
• Placement circuit which covers geographical area
Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Bassetlaw and
Sheffield.
• NHS, Independent and voluntary sectors
• Contractual arrangements in place with placement
areas and university through commissioners
Placement Plan :6 different
placements
Challenges
Changing nature of health care provision
going forward
• Closure of acute services
• Development of community services
• Shrinkage in placement circuit
Opportunities
To utilise a wider range of placements where
nurses provide services to patients/clients at
different stages of their health/ illness journey
However
These service may not provide students
nurses with a wide range of learning
experiences so unable to support long
placements or enable the students to achieve
all competencies( outlined by the NMC)
required for their clinical assessment
DD Development of placement
pathways
Combining traditional placements with other services ( pathways ) to provide a
placement package
For Example
Orthopaedic ward (10 weeks) during which time student would have 1 week in Xray dept. 2
weeks in theatre and have day visits with specialist nurses and other health care practitioners
Pollard C and Hibbert C (2006) Pollard C and Hibbert C ( 2006) Expanding students learning
using patient pathways Nursing Standard 19, 2 p40-43
Placement pathways have been developed and reviewed over several years
McClimens A , Cheung H and Kenyon L ( 2013)
Exploring placement pathways in nurse education
British Journal of Nursing 22,1 p8-15
Course Plan :3 Hub and Spoke
placements
19 weeks (Sept BSc yr1) Example only
Hub
4 weeks
Spoke
3
weeks
Spoke
1 week
Spoke
3
weeks
Hub
2
weeks
Hub
6 weeks
Eg.Hub and Spoke Experience
Placement dept to allocate to 3 spoke placements out of possible 5 Visits to be organised
locally
Mental Health Placement Pathway
AMHP=Approved Mental Health Professional person.
CMHT=Community Mental Health Team.