‘Nursing Times Careers Live events are a great opportunity for student nurses’

Students have the opportunity to meet potential employers and, for nurses who are looking for a change to their career pathway, to talk to exhibitors about job opportunities, career advancement, and training and development possibilities at the different organisations represented at the event.

“Surprisingly some of the audience had never heard of these visits to enhance their learning”

In addition to the careers exhibition, there was a varied guest speaker programme for Nursing Times Careers Live West Midlands.

It gave the audience an insight into different nursing roles including chemotherapy, theatres, and prison and young offenders work. All the presentations allowed the audience to explore and question the speakers further on their roles.

However, it was an afternoon session in particular that started a debate that continued for several days after the event on Twitter.

A large audience of student nurse delegates listened to the student reception panel speak about placements, preceptorship and the transition from student to registered nurse employment.

One delegate recalled how they were disappointed with a recent placement they had experienced and felt some of their time could have been used in a more beneficial way for learning.

A panelist suggested a good way to gain a better understanding and expand knowledge of a placement would be to arrange one or two insight/support visits that were relevant to the learning area.

Surprisingly some of the audience had never heard of these visits to enhance their learning.

I remember as a student nurse being on placement with a district nursing team. Discussing the opportunities available with the mentor at the start of a placement is important.

My mentor asked if I wanted to arrange any visits that would widen my knowledge on wound care, as my case study assignment was on wound management for a patient with lower leg ulceration.

Under the supervision of my mentor, I obtained a wound swab from the ulcerated area and sent the swab off for analysis to microbiology as per clinical procedure.

My insight visit to follow-up the swab result was fascinating and I remember spending a day with the microbiology team who showed me various laboratory bacteriologic cultures that were currently being analysed.

After my insight visit the district nurse received the swab result for the patient, an appropriate plan of care was written, and the wound was dressed as per clinical guidelines.

As a student nurse, I had the opportunity to be involved fully with the patient’s care and to understand the process of wound infection and wound closure with greater knowledge and understanding due to my visit to the microbiology department.

The values of meaningful insight/support visits enable student nurses to gain a greater understanding of their placement area and give opportunities to see how many healthcare professionals are involved in a patient’s care delivery. These opportunities might never be repeated once a student nurse qualifies.

The debate that started at Nursing Times Careers Live around the variations of student placement experiences has resulted in a conversation with multi-disciplinary professionals, suggesting different insight/support visits that nursing students may like to request that are relevant to their placement areas.

The event provided a multitude of opportunities for student nurses to meet different members of the multi-disciplinary teams and gain an understanding of the different job roles that all contribute to patient care.

Candice Pellett OBE, Queen’s Nurse and independent project manager