How can I secure time with my practice assessor on a busy shift?
Nursing students on clinical placements often struggle to get time with busy practice assessors, which can cause worries about getting proficiencies signed off. Clear communication, proactive planning and flexibility are key, and asking questions and showing empathy can ease pressures on both sides and help students make the most of placements. We offer tips on how students can express their goals and seek opportunities to learn, while accommodating assessors’ workloads.
What nursing students can do to ease worries about getting their proficiencies signed off on placement, while working around their practice assessor’s busy day
As a student on clinical placement, securing enough time with your practice assessor can be challenging, especially when shifts are hectic. This often leads to worries about getting your proficiencies signed off.
‘Having enough time to sit down with students is a real issue for practice assessors too and it’s something we struggle with,’ says Sam Moffat, a staff nurse on a liver ward who regularly supervises and assesses students on placement. Mr Moffatt, who works at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, completed a practice assessor course before qualifying as an adult nurse 18 months ago.
More challenging if your placement is on an acute ward or in the emergency department
Finding time with your practice assessor can be even more difficult in particularly busy settings, says student Lauren Healan, who is in her final year of an adult nursing degree at the University of South Wales. ‘On some placements there’ll be more time to fit things in, but if you’re on an acute ward or A&E, it can be a challenge,’ she says.
Focusing on the following four key areas can help the process run more smoothly, reducing stress and helping to ensure you achieve what you need to on clinical placement.
Communicate your needs clearly
- Be clear about what you want from the placement and communicate it, says Mr Moffat. ‘If you’re a first-year student, you may not have the experience to know from the very beginning, but having some idea of what you can potentially get out of your time is helpful.’
- Talk to your practice assessor and supervisor about how you learn best. ‘They can then tailor their approach to you,’ says Mr Moffat.
- Be proactive in sharing what you are achieving on the placement and how you’re doing it, says student Ms Healan. ‘It’s good to bring some examples, so you can have a more detailed conversation.’
‘The students who get the most out of any placement are the ones who ask the most. Questions mean you’re constantly checking in with me, and that’s important for our mutual trust’
Sam Moffat, staff nurse and practice assessor at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow
- Remember that relationships are built on give and take, says University of South Wales senior lecturer in adult nursing Clare Churcher. ‘It’s always a two-way conversation,’ she says. ‘The onus isn’t just on the practice supervisor to make things work. Students need to empower themselves too.’
Seek out learning opportunities and make the most of them
- When you are working alongside your practice assessor or supervisor, keep asking questions, says Mr Moffat. ‘The students who get the most out of any placement are the ones who ask the most – they’re the ones you worry least about. Questions mean you’re constantly checking in with me, and that’s important for our mutual trust.’
- Pay attention to the routine of the ward, understanding when it is likely to be quieter, says Ms Healan. ‘This might be after lunch or following the medications round. I always try to target specific parts of the day.’
- If there is a particular proficiency you want to achieve, make sure you look for those learning opportunities. ‘Don’t just wait for them to appear,’ says Ms Healan. If you’re struggling, ask your practice assessor or supervisor to help you find extra opportunities that may be outside the ward or setting, suggests Mr Moffat.
- Be open to the idea of staying on after your shift, says Ms Churcher. ‘Staying on for half an hour so you can go through what you need to with your practice assessor is worth it, if it reduces your anxieties.’
- Consider using break times for meetings, but be understanding if your practice assessor is not keen, says Mr Moffat. ‘I understand the appeal of it and it shouldn’t be taboo to ask, but be aware the answer may be no. Breaks are really important and we don’t want to develop a culture where working through them becomes the norm.’
Be organised and show initiative
- Have a list ready of everything you want to have signed off, says Ms Healan. ‘Pick out what you think you can achieve in your placement.’ Making contact before the placement begins can help refine your goals, she says. Ms Churcher agrees: ‘Be as prepared as you can be, both before the placement starts and in advance of every meeting. Know as much as you can about the placement and the opportunities it may offer you.’
- Both parties should be proactive in scheduling meetings, says Mr Moffat. ‘Students should know their placement’s mid-point and final week. That way you can try to make sure you’re both on the same shifts.’
- If you have worked alongside someone who is not your practice assessor or supervisor, keep a record of who they are and what happened that day, suggests Ms Churcher. ‘It’s all evidence to show what you’ve learned. Your practice assessor can speak to that person too and see how you got on.’
- If the conversations are not happening, try gentle reminders, suggests Mr Moffat. ‘Just saying you’ve brought your pad in today can help get things rolling.’
Have empathy for your practice assessor
- ‘I’m on a fast-paced ward where many patients are really ill, so there needs to be an understanding that sometimes I won’t have any time,’ says Mr Moffat. ‘We all know how much pressure nurses are under at the moment, so it’s good to have a bit of empathy – and that works both ways too.’
- Try not to disrupt your practice assessor when they’re in the middle of a task or are clearly very busy, says Ms Healan. ‘Students can feel as if they’re being pushed aside and aren’t important, but you need to consider the environment you’re in.’
‘You need to work around your practice assessor, rather than assuming they’ll work around you’
Clare Churcher, senior lecturer in adult nursing, University of South Wales
- Be patient and flexible, respecting that your practice assessor has other responsibilities too, says Ms Churcher. ‘You need to work around your practice assessor, rather than assuming they’ll work around you. Understand that sometimes emergencies happen and while things may be booked in, they may have to be rescheduled.’
- However, if meetings are cancelled routinely, seek support from your practice facilitator, who should be able to negotiate some protected time, suggests Ms Healan.
