UHB leads the way with innovative student project
Published on 14/10/2022
The School of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and Midwifery, at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust, is once again leading the way in student learning for future nurses, AHPs and midwives, as well as trainee nursing associates (TNAs), in the West Midlands.
On Monday 19 and 26 September, two wards caring for poorly children and older people at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, became the first in the country to support student nurses and AHPs to take the lead in clinical care.
The whole of the Children’s Assessment Unit (CAU) and four patient bays on Ward 12, a healthcare for older people ward, were turned into student-led clinical learning environments (SLCLEs), which will see students plan and lead the nursing care under the supervision of the existing nursing teams.
Students on placement from the local universities, including University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University and University College Birmingham, will work with their peers, the ward teams, and alongside a dedicated clinical educator.
They will take responsibility for the assessing, planning and delivery of care to an identified group of patients under the supervision of a registered practitioner who will act as a coach.
Dr Ruth Pearce, Head of the School of Nursing, AHPs and Midwifery, said: “Students participating in clinical placements at the Trust are valuable members of our multi-disciplinary team, and will ultimately go on to be our workforce of the future.
“The school, and all of us at UHB, are passionate about ensuring our students have a fantastic experience while they are with us.
“These SLCLEs provide our students with the opportunity to participate in all aspects of nursing care, which is essential in helping them to develop into safe and confident practitioners.”
The students will be allocated a clinical educator, who not only supports students clinically, but also pastorally, with great emphasis being put on the students’ health and wellbeing whilst on placement.
The students will have protected learning time, in which they have greater control of their education and are able to shape their learning to fit their needs.
While the two new SLCLEs are the first in their specialities in the country, the student-led concept is not new to UHB, with the Trust having opened its first on a surgical ward at Solihull Hospital last year.
The SLCLE at Solihull Hospital went on to be recognised nationally in the Student Nursing Times Awards, winning ‘Placement of the Year’ for having “transformed staff, student and patient experience”.
The SLCLEs aim to provide students with a unique learning experience, enabling them to develop their confidence and leadership skills by learning together. The model gives all involved an increased sense of belonging and value.
The ultimate aim is that students feel recognised and equipped for the transition into professional registration, and go on to choose to build their career at UHB.
This innovative project has been developed by UHB’s School of Nursing, AHPs and Midwifery, which has been working closely with their university partners in order to bring this project to life.
