Student Welcome & Advice

Welcome to the clinical placements and placement information page.  Please read all the documentation carefully, if you need any advice speak to a member of academic staff / Link Lecturer or Mentor/Supervisor in clinical practice. Do not suffer in silence. Keep all documents you have been given and keep them safely. Make copies of everything before you submit.

Present yourself in a professional manner at all times and have a positive attitude to learning in School and in clinical practice. Make a good impression whilst on the programme and the practitioners you work with as a student. Some of those practitioners may end up being your future work colleagues. Previous students always comment on how quickly time goes during the three years. Most importantly work hard and enjoy the programme.

Link Lecturer Contact Details

Link Lecturer List

Support in Clinical Placement

Clinical staff will provide mentorship, supervise your experience and assess your practice according to the requirements of your course. Health professionals, other than nurses and midwives, and other members of staff all contribute to your learning experiences so make sure you engage with the multidisciplinary team.

You will be allocated a named mentor on reporting to the ward/clinical area. Many placements will also allocate you one or more supervisors but you should note that any Registered Nurse / Midwife who is responsible for a particular shift is also recognised as your supervisor. Each clinical placement has an identified Link Lecturer who will endeavour to visit the clinical area during your placement. However, you can contact your Link Lecturer at any time if you require support in practice.

In addition to the support provided from within the School, there are Clinical Placement Facilitators (CPFs) / Student Support Facilitators (SSFs) who are employed by the local Trusts to engage with clinical practice and act as a liaison between Trusts, this School and the NHS Workforce Deanery who commission your training.
 
Five CPFs / SSFs are employed within the local NHS Trusts who will be introduced to you during your programme Contact Details of Clinical Placement Facilitators.

Statement of Intent

All students will dress and present themselves in such a manner as to instil public trust and confidence, and promote a positive professional image whether wearing uniform or mufti. Students’ dress and appearance must be professional at all times. Uniform or mufti should be comfortable, will be worn and cared for in such a way that ensures personal and patient safety.

Please read any Occupational Health information you have been given.

Duty times

Different working patterns will be experienced in the various organisations to which you are allocated for placements. You are expected to adopt the placement's duty rotas and this includes working early and late shifts, weekends and night duty where this is the normal pattern of working. In many placements you will take the same duty rota as your designated Mentor but this will be adjusted to ensure that you experience all aspects of care within the speciality. Night duty is not normally undertaken until the Field programme. Student nurses and midwives are not required to work bank holidays. All students need to work closely with their Mentor and identify dates for mid-point interview and final assessment interview. Time is protected for all students to be given the opportunity to engage with University activities on the Wednesday.

Reporting Sickness and Absence

All attendance must be recorded accurately to fulfil the requirements of NMC Registration at the end of your course. If you are unable to attend a clinical placement as scheduled you must inform the clinical staff prior to the start of your duty shift. In addition, you must report via the Sickness and Absence reporting Hotline - 01782 679677 - following the instructions on your laminated card.

Placement Allocations

Details of placement allocations can be found on-line on the Keele Learning Environment (KLE) Practice Placement Information Area; Placement Allocations. Information is arranged in cohorts and fields and allocations are placed on the KLE Practice Placement Information Area  prior to the start of a placement.

Placement location and type of clinical speciality

Information about clinical areas (and, in some instances, travel arrangements) can be found on the (Link currently unavailable) University Hospital of North Staffordshire Placement Profiles download, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust placement pages, Stoke on Trent Community Health Services placement pages, North Staffordshire Community Healthcare Placement Profiles download, and from Link Lecturers (academic staff from the School of Nursing & Midwifery).

Placement Evaluation

The School of Nursing & Midwifery has a responsibility to monitor the quality of clinical placements to ensure that students receive appropriate experience, support and assessment in clinical practice. All students are encouraged to complete an on-line Student Placement Evaluation Form at the end of every clinical placement. The evaluations are collated by the Placement Quality Lead/Placement Quality Administrator three times a year and circulated to the relevant clinical area by the Link Lecturer and Clinical Placement Facilitator / Student Support Facilitator to the senior nurses for the Trust. This process is particularly important as it allows the student an opportunity to improve performance of the placement area. Specific action plans may be formulated based on the feedback received to improve the situation.

Clinical Practice Assessment

Assessment of a student’s performance in clinical practice is a fundamental component of their 3 year course and comprises 50% of the total assessment for each module being studied. The assessment of a student’s performance is fundamental in maintaining professional standards of nursing practice.

The process for documenting the assessment of students’ clinical practice comprises three stages: initial interview, mid-point interview and final interview.

Initial interview:

At the beginning of the placement, the student will meet their Mentor to discuss their learning needs, the learning opportunities available on the placement, the learning outcomes to be achieved during the placement and any issues that the student or mentor wish to raise at this point.  At this meeting, a provisional date for the student’s mid-point interview will be identified. The Mentor should document the details of this initial interview. The student will be given a planned introduction to the placement including the layout of the area, introduction to staff, the location of Clinical Placement Student Resource Folder and policies, equipment, procedures & guidelines, emergency procedures, shift patterns, off-duty and break times and the procedure for reporting sick. The Trusts have an induction check list to complete.

Mid-point interview:

Members of the clinical nursing team (i.e. Mentors and supervisors) will work with the student during the placement in order to supervise their practice, provide guidance and teaching to make an assessment of whether they are demonstrating the required standard to achieve the practice learning outcomes. A mid-point interview must be conducted to review the student’s progress and to highlight any elements of good practice and/or any areas for development that will be required in order for them to achieve the learning outcomes. If necessary, a development plan will be devised in consultation with their link lecturer. It is essential that students are given accurate feedback on their performance especially when areas for further development have been identified by clinical colleagues. At the mid-point interview, a provisional date for the student’s final interview will be identified (taking account of the Mentor’s off duty/holiday requirements).

Final interview:

At the final interview, the Mentor will review the student’s progress and discuss the evidence they have provided to support their achievement of the learning outcomes. Any aspects of practice identified previously as needing development will be discussed. At the end of this process, the Mentor is required to indicate whether the student has demonstrated the knowledge, skills and attitudes to achieve the practice learning outcomes. This must be confirmed by the Mentor’s name (in block capitals) and signature in the relevant box (along with a date of assessment) on each outcome page. Some students may have to submit their Practice Assessment Document prior to their last weeks on clinical placement.

To assist Mentors in making a judgement on a student’s achievement, performance criteria are provided for each learning outcome. These give an indication of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are expected of a student in achieving that particular outcome.

Students need to be familiar with all assessment of practice documentation. Copies are also available in Clinical Placement Student Resource Folder. Any questions please contact your Link Lecturer, Personal Tutor, Clinical Placement Facilitator or Placement Quality Lead.

'Ongoing Achievement Record’ (Passport)

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requires students to maintain an ongoing achievement record. This will enable mentors for each placement to see how a student is progressing, and target their support in the most effective way for that student. The majority of student assessment should be through direct observation in practice. The student’s strengths will be identified and any key achievements within a specific placement can be acknowledged. Areas of practice that the student has found difficult, or wasn’t exposed to can be highlighted so that this can be supported in the next placement. At the end of the programme the sign off mentor will be required to assess the student over a period of time and make a judgement about their fitness to practice as a registered nurse. The final assessment draws on evidence of assessment over a sustained period of time.

Essential Clinical Skills Schedule

During the their pre-registration programme students are allocated a number of different clinical placement areas that can provide a range of practice experiences and expose students to a range of learning opportunities aimed at developing their essential clinical nursing skills. The Essential Clinical Skills schedule focuses on those essential skills that can be applied across all four branches of pre-registration programmes.  Students have a responsibility to discuss Trust/organisational policies and the appropriate Clinical Guidelines for their placement with their mentor as part of their introduction to learning new clinical skills. In signing the appropriate level of skills development in the schedule, the mentor is confirming that the performance criteria have been met.

All students must keep all Practice Assessment Documentation safely. You will be discussing the grades and comments with your Personal Tutor at the end of every module.

Guidelines for Mentors & Students

The following guidelines are intended to clarify the position on students’ supernumerary status during clinical placements. The Link Lecturer or your Personal Tutor will be able to answer any questions you may have on supernumerary status.

“All students undertaking pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes have supernumerary status while on practice placements. That means that they are additional to the workforce requirement and staffing figures” (RCN 2007)
 
“Supernumerary status means that the student shall not, as part of their programme of preparation, be employed by any person or body under a contract to provide nursing/midwifery care.” NMC (2004a)

“The student is present in the placement setting as a learner and not as a member of staff. However, they must make an active contribution to the work of the practice area to enable them to learn how to care for patients” (RCN 2007)

The NMC’s Code of Professional Conduct (NMC 2004b) states that nurses and midwives on the NMC professional register: “…have a duty to facilitate students of nursing and midwifery and others to develop their competence.” Student’s practice experience is widely acknowledged as being one of the most important parts of the educational preparation to become health care professionals. In its report Making a Difference the Department of Health (1999) emphasizes that provision of practice placements is a vital part of the education process. Every practitioner shares responsibility to support and teach the next generation of nurses and midwives.

Students are supernumerary throughout their course. This means that the experience they gain during practice placements should be determined by their educational needs. This does not mean that students are purely observers. To develop the required skills and achieve the identified learning outcomes, students must participate in clinical activities under direct or indirect supervision of a Mentor or supervisor. Students should discuss the best ways of achieving their learning outcomes, and ensure that their practice assessment, student passport and skills documentation are available for reference.

The type of nursing activities that students participate in will vary from placement to placement. Students should be given the opportunity to participate in as many activities as possible. This may mean that they follow patients when they attend investigations, surgery or have consultations with other health care professionals. It may also mean that students are given opportunities to participate in a variety of situations that are appropriate to meet their learning needs (for example: participating during a cardiac arrest, assisting colleagues when performing clinical procedures). It would never be acceptable for a student to put a patient’s safety or well-being at risk by refusing to provide immediate care that was within their capabilities.

Students are expected to experience a variety of shift patterns including weekends and nights. The organisation of shift patterns is at the discretion of the placement manager and should ensure adequate opportunities for learning and effective supervision and ideally to work as many shifts as possible with their named Mentor. Supernumerary status does not imply the right for students to change allocated duty at will, or always to have off-duty requests honoured. Supernumerary status does include the student’s right to experience effective learning opportunities in placement and to have the status as students respected. This includes not using students to “fill gaps” in the placement’s establishment of staff.

Students' Responsibility

  1. To ensure that evidence for assessment is made available to the Mentor.
  2. Ensure the ongoing achievement record (OAR) is kept safe at all times.
  3. Complete students sections in timely manner.
  4. Have available on first day of each placement to show new Mentor.
  5. Meet with personal tutor at least once after each placement to discuss progress and show OAR.

Bank & agency working

Part-time employment of pre-registration students is covered by a number of School guidelines to which students are expected to adhere:

  1. Students must not undertake so much part-time work that it interferes with their ability to reach the required standard in both theory and practice to successfully complete their course.
  2. Students who undertake work as Health Care Support Workers (HCSW) must not wear their students uniform whilst doing so. If an appropriate uniform is not supplied by their employer, the student must provide their own.
  3. Students should not work as an HCSW in a Ward / School / Unit in which they are currently undertaking an allocated placement as a student.
  4. Students must always work within the parameters of the role of the HSCW appropriate to their previous professional experience and must not undertake nursing duties that fall outside this role.

Occupational health

The Occupational Health Unit will provide advice and support on health-related issues. If a student acquires a specific health problem that might affect their fitness to practice, the School will ask the student to agree to a referral to the Occupational Health Unit for advice regarding their current fitness to practice.

All students must comply with occupational health requirements throughout their course. Students must attend scheduled occupational health appointments and provide promptly any information required by the Occupational Health Unit. Failure to do so may result in suspension from clinical practice and a £25 levy to cover administration costs.

Mentors' Responsibility

  1. Ensure comments/feedback is supported by appropriate evidence.
  2. Commentary should be written in a constructive non-discriminatory way to aid the student’s on going development.
  3. Areas of strength and those for development must be outlined in order for the next Mentor to plan appropriate support/experiences.
  4. Completion of the student’s development plan must be done.

Mandatory updates

All students receive initial training and subsequent annual updates in manual handling, basic life support and fire & security procedures.
Any student who is unable to attend either the initial training or their annual updates will not be able to attend clinical practice until the training has been completed. Students should contact their personal tutor if they miss any mandatory training sessions.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities (e.g. dyslexia) may need additional support for their learning both in the theoretical and practical components of their course. Please read PowerPoint presentation Supporting Students with Dyslexia in Clinical Practice and view this additional weblink http://www.ahead.ie/userfiles/file/shop/free/Nursing_guidelines.pdf

Supernumerary Status

Supernumerary Adverse Incident Report Form and Guidelines have been developed. Students are advised to speak to their Mentor first, then Placement Manager, Link Lecturer or Personal Tutor if they still have concerns about supernumerary status. The students may proceed to complete the form and return to the Placement
Quality Lead along with supporting evidence. This is then discussed with the Professional Head Nurse for the respective Trust and an action plan implemented. Students are informed of the outcome of this action plan.

Student Placement Charter

A Student Placement Charter provides students with guidance about their rights and responsibilities in relation to clinical practice.

Dress Policy

You were provided with a Dress Policy prior to joining your programme.

Student nurses and midwives work closely with the public during clinical placements, and the School and placement providers require that all students promote a positive professional image, whether they are wearing uniform or their own clothes (mufti). The School policy is based on the dress policies of the local placement providers and the Department of Health document Uniforms and Workwear -  An evidence base for developing local policy (DoH 2007).