UCLH is committed to ensuring that learning in practice for pre-registration nursing and midwifery students reflects Trust objectives in delivering the highest standard of care to our patients. We regard students as potentially part of our future workforce and wish to support them in acquiring the necessary attitude, compassion, knowledge and skills needed to be fit for practice and purpose.
UCLH has strong links with London South Bank and City Universities. There are two intakes into clinical placements at UCLH, in March and September each year. Students have the opportunity to learn and develop in varied clinical environment. Clinical experiences ranges from wards located at UCLH, NHNN and the Heart Hospital. Students also get an opportunity to go to accident and emergency, theatres and ITU. Their annual evaluations reflect their excitement and passion for learning in such diverse environments.
Students also have opportunities to spend time with clinical nurse specialists and nurse consultants, who are always willing to support students with their learning. Students are valued as important members of the nursing and multidisciplinary team and this is reflected in our commitment with educational audits, mentorship training for nurses and successful NMC visits in 2008/2009. There are also opportunities for shared learning through different educational teachings provided for students across all sites at UCLH. Lead nurses are identified in all clinical areas who champion education and support for students. All areas have local as well as Trust orientation days, to enable students to gain an understanding of the hospital environment they will be working for the duration of their pre-registration nursing course.
Midwifery qualifications at UCLH are obtained via City University. Direct entry student midwives undertake a three-year course, with registered nurses obtaining a midwifery qualification by undertaking an 18-month course. The education team, comprising of midwifery lecturers and clinical practice mentors, ensure that all students are achieving their potential. The student experience is varied, taking place both in a hospital setting and with community midwifery teams. Students get the opportunity to follow a woman’s pregnancy and to learn how pregnancy affects her and her family. The new all-purpose maternity wing at UCLH has recently received CNST (Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts) level three accreditation, recognising the clear guidelines for quality monitoring adopted by UCLH across all its maternity services.
The pre-registration education team works to ensure that student nurse learning in clinical placements at UCLH reflects Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency and the Higher Education Institute's (HEI) current curriculum provision. They also work collaboratively with academic colleagues to facilitate the training and support for mentors across UCLH. Achieving this high standard requires the continuous support and development of practice-based mentors in line with ‘Standards to Support Learning in Practice’ (NMC 2006/2008). This strong commitment to mentorship support is reflected in our mandatory training and support for both mentors and ‘sign-off’ mentors.
Students requesting an elective placement experience need to apply to the lead nurse for pre-registration education. Consideration needs to be given to the number of students on placement when a request is made. The request needs to be completed a least six months in advance to complete administrative work and plan the clinical placement experience.
Students have the opportunity to be involved in a ‘hub and spoke' model of learning. This has enabled them to move from one clinical environment to another while still maintaining their named mentor to experience a wider link between different hospital services. There is a strong element of reflection; a core aim is to understand a service user’s journey of care from their own individual perspective.
‘Sign-off’ mentors will be easily identifiable across all clinical sites and with our midwifery and paediatrics colleagues’ processes of evaluating the role will be implemented.
Link education nurses across all clinical sites provide students with learning objectives for their new clinical area. Link nurses engage in all activities related to pre-registration education both within the hospital environment and at HEI’s. We continue to support and invest in nurses who have a passion for pre-registration mentoring.
The role of the HCA Development Nurse is to develop and maintain a structured support system for health care assistants (HCAs) and their facilitators, and to facilitate their development pathway. This involves establishing effective working relationships with HEI colleges of further education and NVQ education providers, liaising with ward sisters/charge nurses to identify development opportunities and working collaboratively in support of non-regulated staff.
UCLH has a dedicated development process to support and develop a career pathway for HCAs. This includes:
- 2.5 days HCA Induction, six HCA development days, HCA competency workbook
- NVQ level 2 & 3
- Career progression to foundation degree (assistant practitioner) level or registered nurse training.