Student Placement of the Year: Community

Students view their placement as one of the most exhilarating but also challenging experiences of their student lives. This award seeks to recognise those community settings that manage the anxieties associated with going on placement by providing a structured learning environment that helps students to flourish. This includes clearly setting out what students will be exposed to during their time on placement, and ensuring they are supported to learn, practise skills and gain wisdom from the wider team.

What are the judges looking for?

An exceptional environment that demonstrates excellence in:

• Making time for students to be properly supported throughout their placement, scheduling time for reflection and practising relevant skills;
• Providing both emotional and practical support from the management team as well as from the mentor;
• Integrating student nurses or midwives into the team, using their supernumerary status to ensure they gain valuable and valid learning experiences during their time on placement;
• Using innovative ‘hands-on’ teaching skills to ensure students have the chance to put into practice what they have learnt in the classroom;
• Tailoring the learning process to meet the needs of particular students, as well as conditions during the pandemic;
• Developing and upholding the professionalism of nurses, ensuring students understand and adhere to the NMC Code;
• Exhibiting a culture that inspires, enthuses and motivates students, with positive attitudes throughout the team;
• Offering advice and guidance to protect and ensure safety of student nurses and midwives at work.

Please attach any supporting evidence to your application that you feel is relevant. This can include testimonials, student feedback or student evaluations or any other appropriate evidence.

This award is open to any NHS or independent organisation that has been accepting nursing or midwifery student(s) on placements for at least 12 months by 31 December 2020. It is open to any organisation, practice, clinic or unit – NHS or independent sector – offering health services in the community.

If you are shortlisted for this award, and with coronavirus conditions permitting, you will be invited to attend our covid-19 secure offices to present to the judges. The shortlist will be informed of any changes to the final judging process.

Take a look at what our 2019 winner had to say about winning the award: