Expectations will be present on both sides, namely yourselves and your practice areas.
The staff at your allocated placement will have expectations of you. They will expect you to be polite and friendly, willing to learn and helpful with their workload. Remember first impressions count.
To present yourself in the best possible light to your new team, access the placement details on the Health Placement Site https://mypad.northampton.ac.uk/placements/ and see if there is any recommended reading or suggestions for research prior to placement commencing. This can be found on the Placement Profiles. If there is not, look up some basic background before you go; it will show resourcefulness and eagerness to learn.
It is important that you meet with your mentor or team prior to starting your placement.
Telephone or email your named contact at least two weeks beforehand, to arrange a suitable time to go in and meet them. Not only will this orientate you with your new workplace environment, it will give you a chance to see what you will be doing, get your shifts for the initial period and also acquaint you with the practice assessor and supervisor who will be assessing you.
What to expect from your practice assessor
Your practice assessor will:-
- Be at least one year post nursing/relevant healthcare qualification.
- Hold a qualification in Mentorship.
- Hold current registration on the Mentor Register.
- Be responsible for your access to the wider team enabling you to work with other Health Care Professionals.
- Work collaboratively with you developing your learning.
- Assess your progress both formally and informally, with feedback and formative and summative assessments within your practice document onPebblepad.
- Give constructive feedback at regular intervals to highlight gaps/progress in your learning.
- Will sign the Ongoing Achievement Record and document their assessment for your future practice assessors.
The NMC guidance is that the students spend a minimum of 40% of their placement under the supervision (direct or indirect) of their practice assessor. Therefore, the student does not need to be physically with their assessor for 40% of the time, as long as the mentor is in communication with the rest of the staff and practice supervisor in regards their performance, this is an acceptable format.
A few areas now have a model of ‘team mentorship’, namely PL@N at Northampton and LIASE at Milton Keynes, where coaches will oversee students training as a team. You need to be as flexible as you can with hours to work with your practice assessor and/or supervisor as much as possible however you will be able to put requests in for certain days off that you may require.
What the practice assessor and supervisor requires from you:
You are responsible for your own learning and should be able to demonstrate this to your practice assessor and supervisor.
Always be responsible for the maintenance and safe keeping of your documentation within confidentiality protocols.
Practice assessors and supervisors will have an expectation of you obtaining a certain degree of knowledge, therefore it is important you meet as arranged in order to discuss your placement learning needs, objectives and perceived outcomes. Remember there is additional space in your pebblepad workbook to record details of any meetings additional to your initial, mid-way and final interviews.
Demonstrate that you are actively seeking information and learning opportunities throughout the placement.
Flexibility to work with them on shifts to enable them to supervise your learning effectively
Enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
Initial and mid-way point meetings with your assessor and supervisor give you an opportunity to discuss progress and suggest developments to your learning plan. Be prepared and plan in advance what you would like to raise at each point in your placement. Don’t be afraid to ask any kind of questions or suggest ideas for your learning opportunities.
Two-way discussion and feedback, to ensure there is mutual understanding of any feedback/planning.
Reflections and other evidence presented to the mentor in a timely manner.
If you have any additional support plans or reasonable adjustments made by your academic tutor in place, it is your responsibility to advise your mentor of any specific plans in place so they can support your learning from the beginning of your placement.
Further useful information can be found by visiting the Diverse Learners website. Here you’ll find advice from newly qualified nurses and advice for dyslexic nurses.
You can also view a You Tube video: Hannah talks about first placement and gives her advice and the usefulness of preparation and using learning tools such as mind maps.
You must inform your practice assessor and supervisor of any situations you encounter that are beyond your level of competence. You also have a responsibility to discuss any areas of deficits encountered in your placement with your assessor, preferably before the end of placement, so this problem can be addressed and rectified.
Evaluation of the placement and your experience at the end of placement
Sickness
If you are ill or likely to be late on shift, you should call your placement as a courtesy to let your the team know you will not be be coming in, or will be late. You must also contact Health Placements sickness and absence office by phone and email via: https://mypad.northampton.ac.uk/placements/
If your practice supervisor or assessor is ill or on annual leave during your time on placement, you should work with an alternative supervisor within the team and they can feedback to your assessor when they return.
If you know that your assessor will be away in advance, you should arrange your shifts to work with a coach or use this as an opportunity to arrange health insight days. It’s also good to pre-arrange your meetings with your allocated assessor in the instance they have booked annual leave during your placement block.
Making up Learning Hours & Working Nights/Weekends on Placement:
It might be that you fall ill or are unable to make placement for personal reasons. As long as you have followed the correct procedure to inform both university and placement of your absence, we can support you throughout your 3 years to recover these hours. Some students may prefer to do an extra few hours on each shift, or you can arrange with university for an extension on time in placement in exceptional circumstances.
Remember you must not work a high number of long days to accrue time off by ‘front loading’ your hours.
Guidance in the Programme Handbook outlines that there should be an educational advantage to you working more than the expected hours.
It is expected that you will undertake a minimum of 35 hours of night shifts over the three years