References
Blended learning: Maintaining clinical placements for child nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Clinical placement is an essential part of nursing education. students undertake 2300 hours of clinical learning throughout the programme (Nursing and Midwifery Council [NMC], 2018: 1). Societal and service changes mean creative transformation is needed to develop sustainable placement opportunities (Carolan et al, 2020; NHS England, 2021a). A blended placement was developed and piloted in community-based children's services. The blended placement gave child nursing students the possibility of experiencing services during the COVID-19 pandemic, by utilising digital and virtual opportunities. Students were placed in the 0–19 public health integrated nursing service, and the integrated children's additional needs service. Two cohorts comprising 25 students undertook the placement. Students and practice supervisors were surveyed on completion of the placement. Survey findings demonstrated three aspects of a good placement experience – information provision, perceived learning opportunities and student support. Recommendations for future blended placements include improved timetabling and information provision adaptions to meet student expectations.
Service pressures have been increasing for a number of years (The Kings Fund, 2019; 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the strain under which the NHS and other health and social care organisations have been operating (Dunn et al, 2021; NHS England, 2021b). The UK Government announced in 2019 that an additional 50 000 nurses would be in post by 2024 (The Conservative Party, 2019). This announcement, alongside pandemic-induced service changes, has meant placement providers and higher education institutions (HEIs) have begun working innovatively to increase clinical placement provision for student nurses (Carolan et al, 2020).
In one Community NHS Trust in the north of England, placement provision was reduced by 60% during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Subsequently, the placement circuit reopened at a much-reduced capacity. It became imperative that alternative methods of providing clinical placements were considered. One of the ways of increasing placement capacity was to introduce blended placements.
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