NGH pilots student nurse training programme

Student nurses taking part in the PL@N pilot will be identifiable by the turquoise stripe on the arm of their uniforms.

Two wards at Northampton General Hospital are piloting a new student placement model which could transform the way student nurses are trained at the hospital.

Northampton General Hospital and the University of Northampton have designed the programme, known as PL@N (Practice Learning at Northampton General Hospital), which is being trialled on Rowan and Knightley wards from this month.

Specific bay areas within those wards have been assigned three PL@N nurses from first year students through to those who are just about to graduate.

Carolyn Fox, director of nursing, midwifery and patient services, said: “PL@N involves students working with an assigned coach who is a registered nurse as they develop their practice skills and experience.

“The students receive regular coaching sessions, both on the ward as they deliver care to patients and with training and learning sessions away from the ward.

“Our patients in the designated PL@N areas continue to receive individual care overseen by the ward’s senior nursing team, just like on any other ward.”

The PL@N team including students nurses and representatives of NGH's practice development team and training partners University of Northampton

The programme incorporates the principles of collaborative learning and coaching which means that although the pilot is limited to a specific number of bay areas, the whole ward team is involved.

The pilot will run for 12 weeks and will then be subject to evaluation to assess the benefits of the programme.