Inter-professional development for student nurses

Abstract

The quality of student nurse placements is important in the development of competent and confident nurses. On placement, student nurses develop and master the qualities of skilled caring, competence, and clinical skills, experiencing nursing in the acute and community setting. Despite this, many student nurses have little knowledge or insight into the function or role of community intervention acute nursing teams (CIT) in Ireland and their pivotal role in hospital avoidance and supported early hospital discharge of patients. Caredoc in conjunction with Waterford Institute of technology (WIT) School of Nursing identified a need to expand the current student nurse placement opportunities to include a 14-day placement with a CIT nurse delivering acute nursing care in the community. The aims of the placement were to provide a rich learning environment for the student outside of the hospital environment, raising the awareness of how acute nursing care can be provided to patients in the community, that prior to CIT could only have been delivered in an acute hospital settling. For example, chemotherapy pump disconnections, IV infusions, Suprapubic catheterisations, heart failure IV diuretic management, pre/post-operative anticoagulation management, post-operative wound management. These placements are targeted at 2nd year student nurses from WIT school of nursing, with a ratio of 1: 1 preceptorship by a CIT nurse. WIT and Caredoc CIT began to develop predicted learning opportunities outcomes in the last quarter of 2017. Preceptorship training commenced for Caredoc CIT nurses early 2018 with the first cohort of student nurses arriving in May 2018. The collaboration and engagement between WIT coordinators, student nurses, Caredoc CIT nurses and management team ensured an innovative environment of learning, including patient selection suitability skills, utilisation of technology, secure electronic transmission of patient information between the hospital and the community, opportunities to observe autonomous decision-making in patient care and management. There is recognition among healthcare decision makers that the future of healthcare involves greater health promotion, chronic disease management, and care of older patients in the community. Development of student nurse placements between other centres of nurse education and providers of CIT services is transferrable across the country. Placements are already progressing as an initiative with advanced nurse practitioner candidates with University College Cork and Caredoc CIT. The successful development of coordinated student nurse placements is in its infancy, but has already succeeded in the integration of student and staff nurse learning; fostering a collaborative approach in the development of placement learning outcomes and evaluating student’s placement feedback. The main outcomes were: - Students had the opportunity to practice skills they had not previously been offered - Educational training and professional development shared between hospital and community ensure patients receive the same standard of care whether they are treated in the hospital or in their own home - Collaboration between Centres of Nurse education and community teams are a key component to growing the knowledge of the future nurses understanding of acute care beyond the hospital door - The honour of being a trusted guest in a patient’s home