Preparation for Practice Placement Handbook 2011 For students of Pre-Registration Nursing programmes This handbook is the property of UCLan and MUST not be distributed, sold, published, made available to others unless you have gained written permission to do so from the Head of PLSU. This applies to the materials in their entirety and to any part of the materials. December 2011_V3 1 Contents page 1 1.1 1.2 Topic Introduction to the Practice Placement Handbook Section 1: Overview of the Placement Learning Support Unit (PLSU) What are the contact details for PLSU? What are the opening hours of PLSU? 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Section 2: Fitness for Practice (CRB & Occupational Health clearance) Why should I attend occupational health appointments? What happens if I do not attend (DNA) an occupational health appointment? What constitutes clearance for occupational health? I am a widening access student – do I need clearance checks? Do the clearances last for the whole of my programme? What happens if my studies have been suspended (intercalation)? Will these clearances be accepted by all placements? Infection Control Mandatory Training 3 3.1 3.2 Section 3: Practice Placements Where are the practice placements located? European Union Directive 2005/36/EC 3.3 3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3 3.3.4 3.3.5 Travelling to your practice placements Using public transport and planning your journey Use of personal vehicles Use of personal vehicles for transporting patients Travel expense claims Widening Access/Seconded students 3.4 3.4.1 3.4.2 3.4.3 3.4.4 Notification of practice placements Where do I find which placement I have been allocated? A new placement has appeared on myUCLan – is this a confirmed placement? Why is there no placement for me on myUCLan? I have previously worked as a health care assistant on the placement / I don’t like the placement allocated to me – can I swop placements with my friend? When do I contact my placement? Where can I find contact information for the placement? 3.4.5 3.4.6 3.5 3.5.1 3.5.2 3.5.3 3.5.4 3.5.5 3.5.6 3.5.7 3.6 3.6.1 3.6.2 3.6.3 Page 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 Uniform/Dress Code Communication and Dress Code What do I wear on placement or in clinical skills labs? How many uniforms will I be issued? How often should I change my uniform? How should I launder my uniform? What do I do if my uniform becomes too small, in a state of disrepair or I become pregnant? What happens to my uniform at the end of my course? 13 Practice Hours Why is there a difference between the NMC and programme requirements for practice hours? What are the normal shift hours /patterns on placement? Can I do 12 hour shifts /Do I Have to do 12 hour shifts? 16 December 2011_V3 15 2 Contents page Section 3 3.6.4 Topic Section 3: Practice Placements Continued Page Can I work Bank Shifts in the same clinical area that I am placed as a student nurse? Will the placement work my off duty around my part-time job? Will I be expected to do Night Duty? Am I entitled to Bank Holidays? Can I arrange Annual Leave weeks myself? Why do I have a timesheet in my PAD and where do I submit it? Supernumerary status Loneworking 16 18 3.7.9 Sickness/Absence What if I am sick or not able to attend placement? What if I am sick for more than 3 days? What is Unauthorised Absence? What is Authorised Absence? What if I want to attend a Personal Appointment? What is make up time and who arranges this? Are there a maximum number of hours a week I can work in practice? I have just found out I am pregnant and already on/or due to start placement, what should I do? My partner has just had a baby am I entitled to paternity leave? 3.8 Confidentiality 20 3.9 3.9.1 3.9.2 3.9.3 Professional Behaviour Social Networking Sites Professional Relationships Use of mobile phones in practice settings 3.10 Raising or Escalating concerns/Safeguarding (Whistleblowing) 3.11 Student Disability and Placements 3.12 3.12.1 3.12.2 3.12.3 3.12.4 3.12.5 Support in Practice What is the role of a Mentor or Associate Mentor? I Have not been allocated a mentor, what do I do? What is a Sign Off Mentor? What is the difference between a Link Lecturer and my Home Group Facilitator (Personal Tutor)? What is the role of the Practice Education Facilitator? 3.13 Third Party Disclosure of Your Personal Information 3.14 Student Evaluation of Placement Experience 4 And Finally........ 3.6.5 3.6.6 3.6.7 3.6.8 3.6.9 3.6.10 3.6.11 3.7 3.7.1 3.7.2 3.7.3 3.7.4 3.7.5 3.7.6 3.7.7 3.7.8 17 19 21 22 23 24 December 2011_V3 24 3 Introduction to the Practice Placement Handbook Dear student, The main aim of this handbook is to provide useful information and answers to frequently asked questions that students have raised in relation to practice learning and placements. It was specifically written in response to feedback from your student representatives. Remember that your programme has been specifically designed to meet professional body requirements of 50% theory and 50% practice. Practice is undertaken in carefully selected and quality assured placements that support you to achieve the course requirements, learning outcomes and assessment processes. Every placement we use has been identified as providing appropriate learning opportunities that enable you to complete your Direct Observation of Nursing Activities (DONAs) and your Practice Assessment Documentation (PADs). Practice placements are an integral part of your learning experience that enables you to apply theory to practice, and develop core clinical competencies and transferable skills with support from qualified mentors in a variety of practice settings across the North West of England. We encourage you to make the most of all the learning opportunities available, to embrace repeated learning experiences and enjoy the new challenges that practice placements will offer you. Course Teams, PLSU & Placement Providers .................................................................... Preparation for Placement Handbook Version 3, December 2011 Overview of Amendments in this version Section 3: 3.1 page 8-9 Section 3: 3.3 page 9 Section 3: 3.5.2 page 14 Section 3: 3.6.5 page 16 Section 3: 3.6.10 page 18 Section 3: 3.12 page 22 December 2011_V3 NHS Trusts have been updated to reflect current changes Travel time increased to NHS North West limit of 1 hour 30 mins New item added - Headcoverings New item added – shifts and part-time job New item added – Loneworking New item added – Associate Lecturers Practice Learning Support 4 Section 1: Overview of the Placement Learning Support Unit (PLSU) PLSU is responsible for organising practice placements and co-ordinating sickness and absence records. It is the first point of contact for placement related enquiries. 1.1 What are the contact details for PLSU? PLSU office 01772 893395 PLSU ansaphone 01772 892732 (reporting sickness/absence and fitness to return) PLSU @ punit@uclan.ac.uk for all general enquiries PLSU Placement Learning Support Unit Brook Building BB337 UCLan Preston PR1 2HE PLSU web site http://www.uclan.ac.uk/schools/school_of_health/plsu/index.php 1.2 What are the opening hours of PLSU? Monday to Thursday: 0830 -1645 hours Friday: 0830 -1545 hours Please note it may not always be possible to resolve your queries immediately as we may need to consult with practice partners or academics. Section 2: Fitness for practice (CRB & Occupational Health clearance) All students going into placements must have enhanced CRB check and Occupational Health Screening. Students will not be allowed to commence their first practice placement if clearance has not been confirmed to PLSU by the Occupational Health Service. 2.1 Why should I attend Occupational Health appointments? It is important that you attend all appointments with Occupational Health services to ensure that all blood screening and vaccinations can be completed before you are due out on placement. This ensures that you are protected from infections that patients may be carrying and conversely that patients are protected from infections you may be carrying. 2.2 What happens if I do not attend (DNA) an Occupational health appointment? Occupational Health clearance is an admission requirement for the programme, we may therefore suspend your studies (intercalation) or you could be asked to leave the course. December 2011_V3 5 If you DNA’d an appointment without contacting Occupational Health in advance to rearrange the appointment, you will be charged £40.00p for each appointment missed. If you fail to pay this charge, you will become a debtor to UCLan and this could result in LIS services being suspended. 2.3 What constitutes clearance for Occupational Health? You should have completed a Fit for Placement form and returned it to the Occupational Health dept at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Depending upon the information you have supplied in your Fit for Placement form you may be called for an appointment with the Occupational Health nurse at either Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Royal Preston Hospital or Wigan Investment Centre. You should have had the first Hepatitis B vaccination and if you are not immune to MMR, you will need to have had both MMR vaccinations If you have existing underlying medical conditions or your form is unclear/has missing information, then you will need to see the Occupational Health Consultant. Occupational health service confirms clearance to PLSU Occasionally some students will receive personal clearance notification before PLSU is notified however this does not mean that you can go into practice placements – you should bring your documentation into PLSU so that this can be verified with the relevant occupational health service. 2.4 I am a widening access student - do I need these clearance checks? No – you will have already been screened by your employing NHS Trust. 2.5 Do the clearances last for the whole of my programme? Yes, although in accordance with the NMC Guidance on Professional Conduct for nursing and midwifery students (2010) you must declare any changes to good health, good character and fitness to practise status: annually during the enrolment process or at any stage during your course when changes in status occur If you fail to disclose any changes to your good health, good character or fitness to practise and subsequently the university or placement provider become aware of this you may be withdrawn from placement and or programme immediately, pending investigation. 2.6 What happens if my studies have been suspended (intercalation)? CRB and Occupational Health clearances have limited life spans, therefore depending upon the length of the time away from the course you may need to have these checks repeated. 2.7 Will these clearances be accepted by all placements? Some placements that you may choose for your alternate choice placement may require repeat CRB checks – you may have to directly fund the cost of these. December 2011_V3 6 2.8 Infection Control It is important that you adhere to NHS Trust policies in relation to infection control, particularly in relation to diarrhoea and vomiting – these illnesses have the potential to spread very quickly amongst ill/compromised patients and can result in fatalities – Check with Infection Control and follow their advice – if this is to stay away from the placement please notify your placement and PLSU then stay at home until symptoms of these infections have ceased for at least 48 hours. 2.9 Mandatory Training /Trust Induction Prior to commencing placement you will be expected to attend Mandatory Training sessions (Moving & Handling, Basic Life Support (Adult/Child) in the clinical skills labs. You will also have to attend an Induction session at the NHS Trust you will be going on placement to. These sessions may be delivered at UCLan or on NHS Trust premises. You will also be expected to have annual updating but the topic areas will vary in each NHS Trust – your local PEF will be able to advise you of the process for arranging ongoing updating. Attendance at both Mandatory Training and NHS Trust Induction is compulsory – failure to attend may result in you not being able to go on placement. Section 3: Practice Placements PLSU works in partnership with practice placement providers across the North West of England. Every placement allocated has been quality audited to ensure they meet the learning outcomes of your programme and all offer valuable learning opportunities that meet the requirements of the NMC and European Union Directives. You will gain experience in placements that reflect the ever-changing needs of the health care service, so that you become an adaptable and flexible nurse – prepared for purpose and practice in new ways and for new roles. You will therefore be allocated a range of placements in NHS Acute settings (Hospitals), NHS Primary Care settings (Health Centres, GP practice, Community Hospitals, Community Teams, Walk-in Centres) and in the Private, Voluntary or Independent Sector (Hospitals, Nurseries, Learning Disability services, Nursing Homes). 3.1 Where are the practice placements located? Your practice placements are grouped together within Health Economies or geographical regions. You should have been allocated to a particular Health Economy / geographical region as part of the interview process. Please note that due to ongoing NHS reconfigurations the Health Economies are expected to change significantly in the immediate future with merging of several NHS Trusts as part of the ongoing development of NHS by government. The grouping of placements varies according to which branch of nursing you are specialising in, i.e.; adult, child or mental health. See next 2 pages to see which NHS Trusts you will be placed in and which hospitals are located within the Health Economies. For further information about specific NHS Trusts you can always explore their web sites via the NHS Choices Gateway: http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/AcuteTrustListing.aspx December 2011_V3 7 Adult Branch Health Economy NHS Trusts Associated Hospitals Ashton, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust Bridgewater NHS Community Trust, Ashton, Wigan & Leigh Division Royal Albert Edward InfirmaryWigan Leigh Infirmary Wrightington Hospital – Wigan Blackburn, Accrington, Ribble Valley, Burnley & Rossendale (East Lancs) East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust – Adult Community, Children and Families Burnley General Hospital Royal Blackburn Hospital Pendle Community Hospital Accrington Victoria Hospital Clitheroe Community Hospital Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre (North Lancs) Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS FoundationTrust NHS Blackpool PCT NHS North Lancashire PCT Blackpool Victoria Hospital Clifton Hospital Fleetwood Hospital Bispham Hospital Rehab Unit Wesham Hospital Rehab Unit Spire Hospital Preston, Chorley & South Ribble (Central Lancs) Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust – Adult Community, Children and Families Royal Preston Hospital Chorley & South Ribble Hospital Longridge Community Hospital Southport & Ormskirk (West Lancs) Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust – Adult Community, Children and Families Ormskirk District General Hospital Southport & Formby District General Hospital NHS Trusts Associated Hospitals Blackburn, Accrington, Ribble Valley, Burnley & Rossendale (East Lancs) East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust – Children and Families Burnley General Hospital Royal Blackburn Hospital Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre (North Lancs) AND Preston, Chorley & South Ribble (Central Lancs) Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust – Children and Families Blackpool Victoria Hospital Royal Preston Hospital Ashton, Wigan, Wrightington & Leigh AND Southport & Ormskirk Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust – Children and Families Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust Bridgewater NHS Community Trust, Ashton, Wigan & Leigh Division Ormskirk District General Hospital Royal Albert Edward InfirmaryWigan Child Branch Health Economy December 2011_V3 8 Mental Health Branch Health Economy NHS Trusts Associated Hospitals North/Central/West & East Lancs Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust Burnley General Hospital Royal Blackburn Hospital Blackpool Victoria Hospital Royal Preston Hospital Chorley & South Ribble Hospital Ormskirk District General Hospital The Priory Hospital, Bartle, Preston Kemple View, Langho, Blackburn Ashton, Wigan, Wrightington & Leigh 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust Leigh Infirmary Even though you may live close to one of the hospitals – you will be allocated placements at any of the hospitals in the Health Economy to ensure you are exposed to a range of clients and specialisms. Many specialism’s used to be available in all hospitals but rationalisation of services has resulted in specialism’s being located in one hospital across a Health Economy. Occasionally students may be required to go to a practice placement within a different Health Economy to enable learning outcomes to be met. 3.2 European Union Directive 2005/36/EC All Pre Registration Nursing Adult branch students have to experience clinical instruction in Nursing related to: general and specialist medicine, general and specialist surgery, child care and paediatrics, maternity care, mental health and psychiatry, care of the old and geriatrics, home nursing. You will be allocated placements that meet the above EU Directives however, remember that you will come across patients of all ages, with a range of health needs, on many of your placement experiences as well. Your curriculum has been designed to ensure that you meet the European Union Directives any absence/sickness time during EU specific placements must be made up before you can complete your programme. 3.3 Travelling to your practice placements Due to the geographic spread of our practice placement providers, it is inevitable that some students will need to travel longer distances to reach their placement than others. Unless a student can provide evidence of exceptional circumstances, our expectation is that ALL students will make every effort to attend the practice placement they have been allocated. Students may have to travel for up to 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach their practice placement; this is in accordance with NHS North West Placement Development Network guidelines. Please note that if you have accepted a place at UCLan but your home address if further than the normal travel distance to placements in our circuit – this is your choice and therefore your travel times may exceed the above. December 2011_V3 9 3.3.1 Using Public Transport and planning your journey Students may have to use various modes of transport (i.e.; a combination of walking, buses and/or trains) to get to their practice placement. There are various travel planners that can assist with this: Transport Direct http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/Home.aspx Travel Line http://www.traveline.org.uk/locally.htm 3.3.2 Use of personal vehicles Students may use their own car to travel to and from their practice placement, and for use during placement community visits, but in all cases, the vehicle must be insured for business use. Please check with your insurance company if you are unsure whether your insurance covers you. 3.3.3 Use of personal vehicles for transporting patients Students must not use their own car to transport patients. 3.3.4 Travel Expense Claims Students in receipt of NHS Bursaries may be entitled to have the cost of journeys between their term time residence and practice placement site reimbursed. This is providing the cost of travel to placement is greater than the normal travel cost from term time residence to university. Example 1: Term Residence 3 miles University 8 miles Placement Student lives 3 miles from university, but 8 miles from Placement, as the mileage to placement is greater than the mileage to university, he can claim travel expenses for the 8 miles travel to placement. Example 2: Term Residence 3 miles University 1.5 miles Placement Student lives 3 miles from university, but 1.5 miles from Placement, as the mileage to placement is less than the mileage to university, he cannot claim travel expenses to placement. Example 3: Term Residence 3 miles University 3 miles Placement Student lives 3 miles from university, and 3 miles from Placement, as the mileage to placement is the same as the mileage to university, he cannot claim travel expenses to placement. December 2011_V3 10 If you are eligible to claim mileage you may also claim the cost of Car Parking at your practice placement site. Some NHS Trusts prefer students not to park in Visitor car parking spaces and may have a reduction in fees for car parking for the duration of your placement – your Practice Education Facilitator should be able to advise you. Full guidance notes are available via E Learn platform on the School of Nursing and Caring Sciences Student office, click on Documents/Forms/General Information or you can go to the NHS Student Grants unit http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/1176.aspx Additional Assistance & Application Forms (Academic Year 2010/2011). Any travel claim forms must be signed by your Home Group Facilitator (Personal Tutor) before taking/sending the completed form to Finance & Resources team based in Computing & Technology building room CM235. The claim form will be checked for discrepancies before sending it to the NHS Students Grant Unit for processing. 3.3.5 Widening Access/Seconded students If you are a widening access/seconded student you will need to follow the policy and procedures of your NHS Trust in relation to travelling to and from placement, and using your own vehicle during placement (community based placements). 3.4 Notification of practice placements Placements are arranged by PLSU in collaboration with our practice placement providers. Students are normally notified a minimum of 6 weeks before they are due to commence placement. Please note that notification may be delayed, or practice placements cancelled, at very short notice for many reasons, i.e. changes in service/care provision or other factors, which are beyond the control of PLSU. 3.4.1 Where do I find which placement I have been allocated? Students can find which placements they have been allocated via the Student Portal http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/ , go to Useful Tools, scroll down and click on myUCLan. When you enter myUCLan, click on Services for Students then click on Placements – remember to select the right academic year. Please note that if you have outstanding fines with the library or financial services then you may not be able to access myUCLan and will be unable to see which placement you have been allocated. It is your responsibility to ensure fines are paid promptly. 3.4.2 A new placement has appeared on myUCLan – is this confirmed? For some of you the placement will not change, however, due to the reasons outlined in 2.4, paragraph 2 above – some placements may be changed. You therefore need to keep checking myUCLan on a regular basis. If your placement changes within 2 weeks of your placement commencing PLSU will notify you by UCLan email address or the telephone number in your student record – remember to keep your personal details up to date on myUCLan or PLSU may not be able to get in touch with you. December 2011_V3 11 3.4.3 Why is there is no placement for me on myUCLan? we could be waiting for a placement to confirm that there is place available for you you have not been CRB or Occupational Health cleared the placement we allocated to you is not available anymore we have not been able to source a suitable placement within a reasonable travelling distance you may have returned from intercalation but PLSU have not received formal notification yet 3.4.4 I have previously worked as a health care assistant on the placement / I don’t like the placement allocated to me - can I swop placements with my friend? No – students may only request to change a placement if: a family member /friend of the student is currently a patient/client in that placement the student has received treatment or is currently in receipt of treatment in that placement the student had a family member /close friend who was nursed and died in that placement the student has a relative who is a member of staff in that area NB. Evidence may be required to support these claims – you will need to submit a Request to change placement due to exceptional circumstances form to PLSU, see web page: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/schools/school_of_health/plsu/forms_and_policies/students/index.ph p Although your request will be considered, there is no guarantee that an alternative placement will be available. 3.4.5 When do I contact my placement? You are asked to make contact with their placement area 2 weeks* before their placement is due to commence (unless otherwise advised), so that you may introduce yourself, find out the name of your mentor and off-duty. You can also ask any questions which will help to prepare for your placement experience, for example, if uniform is not required what type of clothing is acceptable or is there any preparatory reading that would be helpful? *Please do not contact the placement area before 2 weeks as the placement staff may not have been informed that you are coming – the information management system PLSU use to allocate placements allows you to see the live data as soon as the auto allocation feature is activated. However, PLSU need to collaborate with placement providers to ensure that the capacity is still available – this could take a couple of weeks. PLSU then provides allocation lists to PEFs/placements via electronic or postal services which could take another couple of weeks. 3.4.6 Where can I find contact information for the placement? You can find this information on the PLSU website in the Virtual Placement Circuit at: http://www2.uclan.ac.uk/plsu/index.php December 2011_V3 12 3.5 Uniform /Dress Code 3. 5.1 Communication & Dress Code Students in a professional setting must dress in a manner that adds to, and does not detract from, effective communication. The appearance of a professional practitioner is important and should be considered carefully; in general, male and female students should be clean and smartly dressed. Please note the following guidance to ensure effective, sensitive communication and adherence to Health and Safety Guidance: Covering of the face is not permitted (this is true not only in clinical settings but also throughout the educational elements of all education programmes, which is built around group work with other students and tutors). Some practice skills sessions may be physically demanding. It is essential that students attend skills sessions wearing loose, comfortable clothing Usually students will be required to attend skills sessions wearing uniform. If this is the case, the uniform should be freshly laundered and worn correctly in accordance with Dress Code Policies. Footwear and clothing should be appropriate. If you attend practice skills sessions wearing inappropriate footwear, you will be asked to leave. Appropriate footwear is well fitting, with low, closed heel and closed toe. You must be able to participate fully in communication and other skills training, discussion and assessment. As well as adhering to the dress code, students must be able to interact fully with patients, teachers and examiners of any culture, ethnic background or either gender. 3.5.2 What do I wear on placement or in clinical skills labs? You will be expected to wear the regulation uniform provided by UCLan unless advised otherwise by the placement area or clinical skills lab team. Whether or not a uniform is worn, you will be expected to portray a professional image at all times which should promote confidence in your nursing skills to patients/clients, visitors and other staff whom you come into contact with. It is essential that you do not cause unnecessary discomfort or harm to patients/clients and /or yourself as a result of your grooming and attire. You will be expected to comply with the principles of the following dress code, however, please note that the uniform policy of the placement provider overrides these principles. Hair Must be clean, a reasonable natural colour, well groomed, neat, must be worn off the collar to reduce the incidence of cross infection as hair is known to be a potential carrier of staph aureus. Hair should be tied back away from the face where it restricts vision or presents a danger. Nails Must be filed short and kept clean, no artificial nails or attachments should be worn, nail varnish is not allowed as this can harbour or cause infection Skin No tattoos are permitted on hands, tattoos on forearms must be covered up December 2011_V3 13 Face The face must be uncovered, no piercings, tattoos or face paint should be worn. Make up must be discreet/natural. Hygiene To avoid potential risk of contamination to patients from resident bacteria on the skin, you should wash, bathe or shower daily. Heavy perfume/aftershave/deodorants can cause discomfort / nausea in patients/ clients and others, so choose your brands carefully. Cigarette smoke odours can also be offensive to others. Jewellery The only jewellery permitted is a plain wedding ring and small stud earrings (only one earring in each ear). No other jewellery including wristwatches may be worn. Fob watches are permitted. This is to protect yourself and the patient / client from injury during care activities. Headcoverings Must be plain black or navy, close fitting to the head with no decorations. Shoes Must be black, not fabric or suede, with a rubber sole and low heel. Strappy sandals must not be worn. Shoes must give your feet adequate support and should be lace up or slip on type. Cardigans Must be navy blue in colour. They should not be worn when carrying out care procedures. Coats A full length coat is required to cover up your uniform for community placements /visits or whilst travelling to/from placements or to/from the clinical skills labs. Males Tunic as provided plus grey trousers and black socks, coloured /patterned socks must not be worn. Females Tunic and trousers provided, plus black/neutral coloured/patterned socks must not be worn. Name / ID Badges Must be worn at all times, patients / clients have a right to know who is caring for them, no other badges should be worn to minimise risk when moving / handling. Clothing Care must be taken to avoid dressing in such a way that could be seen as politically, culturally, ethnically or sexually provocative or inappropriate. tights or socks, The wearing of uniforms in public is not normally allowed. However, the uniform can be worn whilst travelling to and from work on the condition that it is fully covered by a full-length coat. This includes travelling on public transport and also when students are participating in community visits in uniform or travelling to UCLan for clinical skills sessions. Please note that you should only wear your UCLan student nurse uniform on placements organised by PLSU, or on elective/alternate/internship placements that have been agreed – you should not wear your student nurse uniform whilst working on bank shifts. In placement settings where uniforms are not worn students should dress informally, but smartly. Normally jeans, leggings, shorts, trainers and pumps should not be worn whilst on placement. December 2011_V3 14 If you are considered inappropriately dressed you may be sent off-duty and be reported absent until you return to duty appropriately dressed. Any such absences will need to be made up. If inappropriate dress is a persistent problem, the Course Leader will be informed, and you may be referred to a Fitness for Practise panel. 3.5.3 How many uniforms will I be issued? Female students: Male students: 3.5.4 3 Tunics and 2 Trousers 3 Tunics How often should I change my uniform? Uniforms become increasingly contaminated with bacteria, including antibiotic resistant strains throughout the span of duty. Levels of contamination will increase with extended use, therefore uniforms worn more than once will become an increased risk for cross infection. It is expected that you should change your uniform on a daily basis whilst on placement. If, however, your uniform becomes contaminated with blood or body fluids whilst on duty, it should be changed immediately. 3.5.5 How should I launder my uniform? To prevent the risk of cross contamination the following measures should be adopted as good practice to minimise the risk: Uniforms should be washed in a domestic washing machine without other items of clothing at a minimum of 50° centigrade if the material does not allow for washing at higher temperatures, but at 60-65° centigrade if uniform materials allows in a domestic washing machine. Uniforms should preferably be tumbled dried. Dried uniforms should be ironed with a hot iron. Uniforms should be stored folded flat in a fresh unused plastic bag and sealed. Wash hands before changing into the uniform for duty to minimise contamination. WCs and bathrooms will increase the risk of uniforms becoming contaminated, therefore these areas should not be used as changing rooms. 3.5.6 What do I do if my uniform becomes too small, is in a state of disrepair or I become pregnant? If you become pregnant then you should approach the School office who will arrange for you to have replacement uniforms. If you gain weight or your uniform is in a state of disrepair, then you will be expected to purchase replacement uniforms directly from Boyd Cooper Uniform suppliers – you can find an order form on E Learn Nursing Student Office. 3.5.7 What happens to my uniform at the end of my course? On completion of your course you will be expected to cut out the UCLan logo and return it to the School of Nursing & Caring Sciences Admin Office (Brook building BB337) along with your UCLan ID badge. It is your responsibility to destroy the rest of your uniform. December 2011_V3 15 3.6 Practice Hours 3.6.1 Why is there a difference between the NMC and my programme requirements for practice hours? To meet the NMC requirements you must complete 2300 hours in practice over 3 years (full time programme), however, your programme includes more designated practice/theory hours to allow for unexpected circumstances such as sickness/authorised absences. 3.6.2 What are the normal shift hours / patterns on placement? Practice placement experience will cover 7 days per week, 24 hours per day. Students are expected to mirror their mentor’s shift patterns, which should provide a variety of learning opportunities and extensive experience of health care across the care spectrum. The shift patterns should be negotiated between the student and mentor. Reasonable off-duty requests should be negotiated between the student and mentor. A normal working week is 37.5 hours (full time programme). Students will be expected to experience all shifts of the duty rota. Shift patterns vary across placements but could start from 0730 hours or finish as late as 2300 hours. 3.6.3 Can I do 12 hour shifts / Do I have to do 12 hour shifts? We strongly discourage you from doing long day shifts (12 hours) whilst on placement as this can impact on your ability to learn effectively in practice. Long day shift patterns (12 hours) are normal shift patterns for the staff in a minority of NHS Trusts – you will also be expected to work these shift patterns. In other NHS Trusts long day shift patterns are not the norm, however some placements prefer to work these, in these areas the following applies: Students can opt not to work long days and will therefore work a 37.5 hour week (5 x 7.5 hours per day) If students opt to work long days, they must not work more than 75 hours in any two week period but hours in total must be worked in any two-week period in order to meet the hours required – usually 3 long days per week 3.6.4 Can I work Bank Shifts in the same clinical area that I am placed as a student nurse? The simple answer is no – some NHS Trusts do not allow this at all – it is very confusing for staff working out which ‘hat’ you have on that particular shift. 3.6.5 Will the placement arrange my shifts around my part-time job? No – you have committed yourself to a full-time programme of study, therefore your practice hours take precedence over any part-time job – you will be expected to work the shifts planned by the placement manager. December 2011_V3 16 3.6.6 Will I be expected to do Night Duty? You will be expected to work some night duty shifts to fulfil the NMC requirement of experiencing 24 hour/7 day health & social care during your practice hours. This may be up to 6 weeks and can be undertaken across all 3 years (full time programme) of your programme. There are a variety of ways to complete your night duty experience. You may be allocated a specific night duty placement by PLSU to utilise available placement capacity or, you may follow your mentor onto night duty rotation during a placement experience or, you could arrange night duty in collaboration with the placement area as follows: 6 separate weeks over 2 years 2 weeks + 4 weeks 2 weeks + 2 weeks + 2 weeks 3 weeks + 3 weeks Please ensure that you document your night duty in the Night Duty – Record of Practice Hours Documentation: night duty office 03.doc (double click on icon to open) Student portfolios will be strictly monitored to ensure students have undertaken night duty. 3.6.7 Am I entitled to Bank Holidays? Yes – your programme has been designed with enough hours to enable you to take the Bank Holiday but only on the ACTUAL bank holiday – you cannot rearrange this and take it in lieu at another time. 3.6.8 Can I arrange Annual Leave weeks myself? Students must not arrange annual leave during theory blocks or placement weeks and must adhere to the designated times allocated for annual leave within the programme plans. Students who take unauthorised annual leave may be referred to a fitness to practise panel and may be asked to leave the course. Note: all unauthorised leave will be included on any REFERENCES requested by future employers. 3.6.9 Why do I have a Timesheet in my PAD and where do I submit it? Students who commenced programmes in the academic year 2009/10 have to complete a timesheet during placement and obtain signatures from their mentor/placement manager to clarify that they have undertaken the necessary practice hours. This was introduced to improve record keeping in relation to practice hours. For extra timesheets double click on icon below to open document: timesheet 2011.doc (double click on icon to open) You should submit your timesheet/s to PLSU as soon as you have completed your placement. December 2011_V3 17 3.6.10 Supernumerary Status Supernumerary status means that students are extra to the established team numbers in the practice area to facilitate learning. This does not mean however, that students are purely observers. Your daily learning needs and activities should be negotiated and agreed with your mentor/supervisor. You must participate in a range of clinical activities, which includes basic nursing care, under direct or indirect supervision of your mentor/supervisor in order to develop your skills/competencies and achieve your learning outcomes. 3.6.11 Loneworking During the third year only, students may be encouraged to visit clients by themselves as part of their transition to Professional Practitioner – students should familiarise themselves with the Loneworking policy/guidelines of the NHS Trust they are working in to ensure that any risks are assessed and minimised. Students using their own vehicles will need to ensure that their insurance provides cover for business use. 3.7 Sickness / Absence Sickness and absence is reported by students, academics and placement provider staff and managed by PLSU following the process outlined here: S&A process July 2011 v6.vsd 3.7.1 (double click on icon to open) What if I am sick or not able to attend placement? If you are sick/absent you must contact the placement (ideally before the shift commences) on the first day and contact PLSU. The preferred method for reporting sickness/absence to PLSU is completion of the electronic form: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/schools/school_of_health/plsu/forms_and_policies/students/absence _reporting.php If you do not have access to a computer, leave a message on the 24 hour ansaphone with the following information: Your full Name UCLan ID No: i.e. G12345678 Intake: i.e. May 10 Branch i.e. Adult / Mental Health / Child Reason for Sickness/Absence 3.7.2 What if I am sick for more than 3 days? For illness that lasts 4 -7 days you will need to complete a Self Certificate from your Health Centre or PLSU website and hand it in to PLSU as soon as possible: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/schools/school_of_health/plsu/forms_and_policies/students/index.ph p For illness that lasts 8 days or more you will need to get a Medical/Fit to Work Certificate from your GP/Doctor and hand it in to PLSU as soon as possible. Remember to let PLSU know when you are fit to return to theory/practice so that your record is accurate. If you fail to inform PLSU of your return date the sickness/absence hours will keep accruing. December 2011_V3 18 3.7.3 What is Unauthorised Absence? This is failure to attend a theory session or report for duty when on placement that has not previously been negotiated/authorised, and is not sick leave. This demonstrates unprofessional behaviour that reflects negatively on you in terms of professional accountability, ability to communicate, show respect for others and meet the professional proficiency requirements. It could result in failure to pass the placement and/or referral to a fitness to practise panel and/or failure to pass the programme requirements. Note: all unauthorised leave will be included on any REFERENCES requested by future employers. 3.7.4 What is Authorised Absence? This is absence which has been authorised with a written signature by your Course Leader/Home Group facilitator (Personal tutor), examples include compassionate leave for a bereavement or carers leave. Forms for authorised absence can be obtained from the PLSU website: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/schools/school_of_health/plsu/forms_and_policies/students/index.ph p 3.7.5 What if I want to attend a Personal Appointment? You will be expected to arrange personal appointments during your off duty hours. Any time missed will be added to the overall make up time. 3.7.6 What is make up time and who arranges this? If you have not completed sufficient hours to meet the NMC / programme requirements (i.e. if hours have been lost through sickness or absence) you are required to make up the time at the end of year one to meet the requirements for progression into Branch years at the end of the programme to meet the NMC hours requirement PLSU monitor your sickness/absence hours and will alert you when time should be made up – if you have outstanding practice hours these will be made up in practice placements coordinated by PLSU- if you have outstanding theory hours your course leader will decide the most appropriate method for you to make the outstanding hours up. As time is built into your programme for some sickness/absence, please do not arrange to make up time missed with the placement staff – this may be unnecessary and will not wipe out the hours missed. Please note that ‘make up time’ not sanctioned through PLSU cannot be counted towards your final hours calculation. Make up time does not cancel out sickness/absence days – these will remain on your record and will be used to inform future employment references. 3.7.7 Is there a maximum number of hours per week that I can work in practice? December 2011_V3 19 Yes – the European Working Time Directive states that you should not work more than 48 hours in a week. You will already be working 37.5 hours on placement. This means that you should only be working on ‘Bank Shifts’ or in other employment for a maximum of 10.5 hours per week. If you are required to ‘make up’ hours in order to fulfil the NMC hours, then you should reduce your hours in paid employment accordingly. 3.7.8 I have just found out I am pregnant and already on/or due to start placement, what should I do? You should inform PLSU if you have not commenced placement. If you are already on placement you should inform the Practice Education Facilitator and your mentor/placement manager so that a risk assessment can be undertaken as per local NHS Trust policy. The risk assessment is essential to assess any potential risks in relation to your pregnancy – failure to declare that you are pregnant could put your pregnancy at risk 3.7.9 My partner has just had a baby am I entitled to Paternity Leave? You are entitled to take up to 2 weeks paternity leave, however this will be added to any authorised/unauthorised leave you have taken during the programme and if the total exceeds the requirement to meet the NMC hours, you will be required to make up this time as per 3.7.6 above. 3.8 Confidentiality You should respect a person’s right to confidentiality at all times in accordance with the NMC Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives (2008) and the NMC Guidance on professional conduct for nursing and midwifery students (2010). You should not disclose information to anyone who is not entitled to it and particularly outside of the placement area in public places, travelling on buses/trains, in your own home or on social networking sites. You should follow the guidelines on confidentiality in the generic School Student Handbook, your Course/Module handbooks and policy of the placement provider. This includes anonymising any information in your coursework or assessments that may otherwise directly or indirectly identify people, staff, relatives, carers or placement providers. You should also think carefully about what personal information you disclose to patients/clients, or carers/relatives about yourself. 3.9 Professional Behaviour There is an expectation that you will uphold the reputation of your chosen profession at all times, this includes your behaviour and conduct inside and outside of the university and placement, including your personal life. Failure to do this may impact on your fitness to practise and ability to complete your programme. 3.9.1 Social Networking Sites Used properly, social networking sites such as Facebook are a great way to find old friends, join interest groups and share information. However, you should remember that anything posted on a social networking site is in the public domain. The NMC Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives (2008) states: December 2011_V3 20 You must treat people as individuals and respect their dignity You must respect people's right to confidentiality You must uphold the reputation of your profession at all times You are strongly advised to adhere to the NMC advice re using social networking sites: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Nurses-and-midwives/Advice-by-topic/A/Advice/Social-networkingsites/ What may be considered to be letting off steam about a situation at work can potentially be read by someone who may take offence at the content of a posting and could result in a formal complaint against you and subsequent disciplinary processes being actioned. See UCLan Regulations for the conduct of students, appendix 2 - Code of practice for personal internet presence: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/information/services/sss/quality/files/aqasu_student_regs.pdf 3.9.2 Professional Relationships You should always maintain clear professional boundaries in the relationships you have with others. You should therefore never arrange to meet patients/clients, their family members or carers socially, either during or after the placement. You should not accept any gifts, favours or hospitality that might be interpreted as an attempt to gain preferential treatment. 3.9.3 Use of personal Mobile Phones in practice settings Respect the practice environment, practitioners you are working with, and ultimately clients in your care, by not texting, making phone calls or using any of the facilities available on your phone until you are on official breaks and away from the client group. Good practice would be to switch off your mobile phone as you arrive in practice settings to avoid temptation. You should always adhere to NHS Trust policies with regard to personal mobile phone use. 3.10 Raising or Escalating concerns /Safeguarding (Whistleblowing) about the safety of people in your care You have a professional duty to report any concerns which put the safety of the people in your care or the public at risk. Speaking up on behalf of people in your care and clients is an everyday part of your role, and just as raising genuine concerns represents good practice, ‘doing nothing’ and failing to report concerns is unacceptable. The NMC web site has useful resources, including Guidance for raising and escalating concerns (2010) to support your decision making about whether you should raise or escalate concerns: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Press-and-media/Latest-news/Nurses-and-midwives-to-receiveofficial-guidance-about-how-to-raise-and-escalate-concerns/ The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has also published useful guidance: http://www.cqc.org.uk/public/news/quick-guide-raising-concern-about-your-workplace December 2011_V3 21 The School has developed a clear process and an incident report which you should complete to when raising your concerns: (double click icons to open) 3.11 Serious Untoward Incidents involving students on practice placements A Serious Untoward Incident refers to an action or omission by a student that significantly calls into question the student’s competence, health status, or adherence to the NMC Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives (2008). The embedded document outlines the process to be followed by student, academic and practice staff: double click icon to open) 3.12 Student Disability and Placements If you have a disability that may affect your learning in practice placements, please contact either the Disability Advisory Service – disability@uclan.ac.uk – the School Disability Coordinators (see Student Handbook 2010/11): http://www.uclan.ac.uk/schools/school_of_health/studying_in_school_of_health/health_stude nt_handbook.php or let your Home Group Facilitator (Personal Tutor) or Course Leader know as soon as possible. With Your agreement information will be passed on to the Disability Advisory Service. The university will work with practice placement providers (Practice Education Facilitator / your Mentor) to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs and to provide appropriate support. Where necessary, you will be asked for evidence to help identify appropriate adjustments. Further advice is available from Disability Services: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/information/services/sss/disability_information_for_students.php 3.12 Support in Practice There are a variety of support mechanisms available to you when you are on placement. If you have any concerns whilst on placement you should discuss these with your mentor. If you are not able to discuss concerns with your mentor, you should speak to the placement manager or the Practice Education Facilitator. You can also contact the link lecturer if your concerns relates specifically to the placement or to your Home Group Facilitator (Personal Tutor) if your concerns are related to your programme or personal. You can find details of your PEF and the Link Lecturer who supports the placement on the Virtual Placement Circuit web site: http://www2.uclan.ac.uk/plsu/index.php December 2011_V3 22 In response to feedback from students, the School has appointed 2 new Associate Lecturers Practice Learning Support who will provide additional support to all first year students in practice settings. They will visit students in placement, provide ‘drop-in’ surgeries on site, make contact via email or telephone, trouble-shoot on behalf of the student through liaison with key personnel, or sign-post to individuals or services to help the student resolve issues. 3.12.1 What is the role of a Mentor or Associate Mentor? On each placement you will be allocated to a named mentor, who is a qualified practitioner that has undertaken further professional development to enable them to facilitate your learning in practice and who will assess your achievements at intervals throughout your placement. You should work with your named mentor for a minimum of 40% of your time in practice (normally at least 2 shifts per week). Your mentor is responsible for ensuring that you have an induction to the placement area within the first 24-48 hours and should find out what your specific learning outcomes are within the first week so that suitable learning opportunities can be arranged. You may also be allocated an associate mentor who will support your learning in practice when your mentor is not available. You should also work with other members of the placement team which could include other professions and will give you a greater understanding of inter professional working relationships and practices. Your mentor should provide regular constructive feedback on your achievements. If your mentor has concerns about your performance they will liaise with your Home Group Facilitator (Personal Tutor)/ the placement Link Lecturer/ the Practice Education Facilitator or your Cohort/Course Leader and they will develop an action plan to support you. It is your responsibility to ensure that your Practice Assessment Documentation (Ongoing Record of Achievement) is shared with your mentor so that they can document your achievement and review any action plans with you. During your initial review meeting with your mentor try to arrange suitable dates for your intermediate and final reviews. 3.12.2 I have not been allocated a mentor, what should I do? If you have not been allocated a named mentor within the first week of your placement, speak to the placement manager in the first instance or the Practice Education Facilitator. 3.12.2 What is a Sign Off Mentor? The Sign Off Mentor (SOM) is an experienced mentor who has undertaken further preparation to be able to assess whether or not you have achieved all your practice proficiencies/ competencies during your final placement. They will need to see all three of your Practice Assessment Documents and will use this to inform their decision about whether or not you are ‘fit for practise’ and suitable for entry to the professional register (providing you have also been successful in your academic studies). Your Mentor may also be a Sign Off Mentor. If your mentor is not a Sign Off Mentor then you will be allocated one who will work with you for approximately 1 hour per week in addition to the minimum 40% of time on placement working with your mentor. See FAQs for more detailed information about the Sign Off Mentor role: December 2011_V3 23 3.12.3 What is the difference between a Link Lecturer and my Home Group Facilitator (Personal Tutor)? Every placement has an identified Link Lecturer who is responsible for ensuring that the placement has been educationally audited as a suitable learning environment for students. You may meet them when they call in to the placement area to see the placement staff. Link Lecturers also advise and support the placement staff with any programme queries in relation to students on placements. They will also support either yourself and/or the placement staff to resolve problems with your progress, by contributing to the agreement of action plans in collaboration with the Practice Education Facilitator, which address concerns and monitor progress towards agreed target dates. The main focus of the Home Group Facilitator (Personal Tutor) role is to provide academic advice and pastoral support throughout your programme. This is the person you should contact as soon as you become aware of any problems which may impact on your ability to fulfil the programme requirements. You can find your link lecturer for each placement on the Virtual Placement Circuit at: http://www2.uclan.ac.uk/plsu/index.php 3.12.4 What is the role of the Practice Education Facilitator? Practice Education Facilitators are employed by NHS Trusts and are responsible for the quality of the learning environment in each placement. They will ensure that the placement is educationally audited and that there are appropriately qualified mentors/sign off mentors available to support and assess your learning in practice. They coordinate your NHS Trust Induction which is mandatory and will advise you of additional learning opportunities that may be available. They will also support either yourself and/or the placement staff to resolve problems with your progress in collaboration with the Link Lecturer, by contributing to the agreement of action plans, which address concerns and monitor progress towards agreed target dates. You can find which Practice Education Facilitator is linked to your placement via the Virtual Placement Circuit at: http://www2.uclan.ac.uk/plsu/index.php And their contact details via http://www.uclan.ac.uk/schools/school_of_health/plsu/practice_links/index.php 3.13 Third Party Disclosure of your Personal Information As your programme is 50% in practice settings we will share some personal contact information with placement providers. This information is used to inform allocation of some placements, particularly in NHS Community Trusts, or to contact you with details of NHS Trust Induction sessions or additional learning opportunities. Please note that the placement providers are bound by the Data Protection Act and will only use your information for the purposes outlined above. Further information regarding data protection is available at: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/information/services/sds/dpa_foia_management/data_protection.php 3.14 Student Evaluation of Placements Student evaluation is a really useful tool to monitor the effectiveness of placements in supporting you to achieve your learning outcomes and also to give constructive feedback to the placement. You will receive an email alerting you that the online student evaluation form December 2011_V3 24 is ready for your feedback during your placement. It may be referred to as the SPOPE (Student Perception of Placement Experience) by academics or placement staff. The online student evaluation form for each placement you are allocated is located in myUCLan – the forms will remain open until you complete them. Please remember to maintain confidentiality by not naming specific members of placement staff. If you feel that you did not have a good experience on your placement – please be professional and give constructive advice that will help the placement to improve the experience for future students. A key aspect of becoming a professional practitioner is to raise concerns at the time they occur rather than waiting to complete your evaluation – you have lots of support available to you in practice to guide you with raising concerns - see 2.11 and 2.14 Section 4: And Finally ........... Remember to always uphold the 4 principles of the NMC Code outlined in the Guidance on professional conduct for student nurse and midwives (NMC, 2009): Make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity. Work with others to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of those in your care, their families and carers, and the wider community. Provide a high standard of practice and care at all times. Be open and honest, act with integrity and uphold the reputation of your profession. See information for students at http://www.nmc-uk.org/Students/Guidance-for-students/ Enjoy your learning in practice and embrace all the learning opportunities available to you in your placements. Be proactive, enthusiastic and professional – don’t sit back and hope that learning will just happen – it’s up to you too! Course Teams, PLSU & Placement Providers We hope that you have found this handbook useful – if you have any constructive feedback or helpful suggestions for future editions - please email pawood1@uclan.ac.uk December 2011_V3 25