The period of practice experience within this module is designed to reflect the Specialist Community Public Health Nurse standards (NMC, 2015). The structure of the practice document will reflect your learning needs within a children’s public health workforce arena. The practice assessment document is designed as a working document to aid, record and measure your growing competence. It is also a document, which will allow you to evidence how you are meeting the Competencies. The practice assessment document/portfolio may be used with members of the SCPHN team, peers and Sign-off PT Teacher/Trainee Practice Teacher and Mentors within the practice setting as a tool to assimilate evidence based practice.
You will be expected to take your learning from the theory elements of the SCPHN Field in which you are registered, and apply these to the alternative field in the practice setting. You will use your practice assessment document/portfolio to demonstrate level 6 thinking. Practice will be evidenced in the document by analysing and identifying relevant practice issues and suggesting or implementing changes. The Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses Competency Framework (2015) will form the basis of the competencies that you are assessed against.
Teaching and learning in the practice setting should allow free movement from the supervised learning experience to a return to observation, when necessary, for further and repeated experience to encourage and support confident practice in the Competencies.The practice experience will be based on the following three strategies which will be determined by a negotiated arrangement between Sign-off PT and student, for practice experience and supervision. The three types of experience consist of:
- Observation: designed for students with limited community experience and the need for further analysis/diagnostic assessment of student needs.
- Supported practice: working alongside a Sign-off PT/ PT or Mentor.
- Supervision: working with a structured caseload receiving regular supervision meetings with the Sign-off PT/PT or Mentor and linking with the ARU personal tutor.
This programme of practice teaching and learning is designed to suit the needs of less experienced students as well as those students who have experience or have been working in community nursing. The fact that the nurse working in the community is often working alone in the client’s home, suggests that the period of taught practice is crucial to the maintenance of standards of care.
The module allows flexibility for students to commence according to their organisations priorities and their practice teachers availability. When there is more than one student undertaking this module at one time, there will then be an opportunity for an action learning set or reflective case groups to be facilitated by the SCPHN team.
Students will be facilitated during the module by a member of the SCPHN Team who will act as the link facilitator between Anglia Ruskin University and the practice placement. This will include signposting to student services such as study skills and student support services, and the learning resources on the LMS and library as required. The LMS will offer a ten week structured template for the SCPHN team to share resources, initiate discussion boards, pose and answer questions for all students undertaking the module during the same trimester. This will reflect the needs of the students as they progress through the module and offers the potential for skype or group learning sets.
Assessment
You will be assessed in practice through a competency based portfolio
Students will be monitored on a fortnightly basis by a Practice Teacher from their chosen pathway for conversion who will continue to report on their progress in practice, completing the appropriate documentation which is a pass/fail element of the course.
A link lecturer will facilitate three supervision meetings with the student and practice teacher to monitor and support the students’ progress, these will be at the; initial, formative and summative points during the module.
Please note: This course is undergoing revalidation with the NMC for January 2024, which will significantly change the module content.
