Innovation
In conjunction with the Scottish Government, an honours/TPG route (one year full-time) was developed and offered to our newly qualified nursing/midwifery students as they completed their undergraduate programme. This provided us with an opportunity to not only challenge the students further academically but consider how the modules would enhance their future employability potential and contribution to the NHS. The students undertook a 40 credit work-based learning portfolio. None of the students were in practice and we needed to be creative about how they achieved their outcomes. We attached each student to a clinical area and used the flying start programme, designed to guide newly qualified nurses/midwifes to focus their learning. Students identified 3 areas to focus on and developed a learning agreement by which to achieve these. For example: one area was ‘clinical skills’. A student undertook a teaching session about NG feeding for 2nd year student nurses. They reviewed the evidence, wrote the presentation and evaluated their session.
What prompted innovation?
The students were qualified and undertaking the programme full-time. The Scottish Government wanted us to allow students to achieve learning within the workplace. The hospitals were stipulating that newly qualified nurses should work through the flying start programme and provide portfolio evidence. It seemed logical to combine the elements.
What makes innovation different?
This has not been done before and combines theory and practice well.
Changes in practice
We gave the students the option to do additional practice reflections if they wished and asked the practice education facilitators (PEF) to review the portfolios. All the students took up this option and the PEFs were very impressed with what the students had produced.
Impact
- Comments from external examiner
- Very positive feedback
- Student feedback
- Although not all the clinical placements worked out the student enjoyed doing the portfolios. Some students were signed off by the PEFs, others had very little more to achieve.
Dissemination
- A module report has been submitted.
- Feedback from the external was shared with the team.
- The programme is due to run again in September 2013 and we will build on what we have learnt.