It’s your time to get involved and learn! As a nursing student you are supernumerary, use this time to ask questions! Show an interest and get involved in every opportunity you can before you qualify. Preparation and inquisitiveness are two of the essential ingredients for a successful placement. Of course you will be anxious – it is new after all; you will have to make new relationships, plan new journeys to placement, work with (and probably be assessed by) new mentors and most importantly, you will meet new children, their carers and families! However, as a student nurse, your practice placement is an integral and invaluable component in your nursing degree.

Plan your pre-visit: It is a good idea to visit your practice placement location before you start your placement if at all possible – whether it be a hospital ward, doctor’s surgery, children’s centre, or simply the town or village in which the placement base is located.  Telephone the placement provider or whoever will be supervising your learning to introduce yourself and ask if you can visit.  This will demonstrate that you are interested in the placement and give you an opportunity to meet your mentor and other staff beforehand.  You can start to understand expectations and opportunities, ask questions (i.e. shifts, dress code, etc.) and draft out a plan for your placement.  You may get a ‘Welcome Pack’ outlining your placement and professionals that you will be working with and potential outreach opportunities. Most importantly, you will gain a valuable insight into the uniqueness of the children (and families) and professionals you will be working with. All this will ease any anxiety you may have.  Try to travel to the placement at the same time of day that you will be starting work.  This will enable you to plan your journey and estimate the time it will take to get there.

Do your homework: Pre-placement it is important to research your new placement and get to know the patient group. Use the placement advice on this website for quick tips for a variety of placements, but also ask your university lecturer or personal tutor for guidance. Note that some of the advice on this website relates to any placement (for example, you’ll need a good understanding of fluid management in any placement) and some to specific placements (e.g. thermal injury will most likely be found in specific settings). Here’s a checklist of things to prepare:

• List out and think about specific learning opportunities – what can you get out of the placement to cement your learning? What are your personal strengths and areas for development? Will you have any challenges to overcome in this placement?
• The placement profile – the patient group, what common conditions does this area care for, how quick is their turn over? Look up their website – what insights can you gain? Review information such as the most recent Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED) and/or Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports. How did they rate? You may also wish to search for news items about your placement – what does the media say?
• Is there any pre-reading or induction booklet to read/complete?
• What support is available, e.g. link lecturer?

Progress check: As your placement progresses, review your learning and experiences. Reflect on your progression and discuss this honestly with your mentor. Offer to do (and present) some research on aspects of practice, feedback on your outreach or on new national initiatives or research. This will demonstrate your enthusiasm and leadership and will take forward practice in your placement.

Just get involved!! That is how you will learn, show your enthusiasm and get to know and understand the uniqueness of the children in any placement area. You may have had anxieties before you commenced your placement but these will be allayed. Make sure that you leave a footprint behind; what have you done to enhance the lives of the children, young people and their families that you have worked with; what will make you and the children sparkle!