Two student nurses looking at patient laying in bed

Nursing placements

The importance of placements

Placements are an essential part of our pre-registration nursing courses enabling students to meet the Future Nurse Standards and become eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The professional body requirement for all nursing students is 2300 practice hours, which means that placements make up 50% of the course.

It is vital for student nurses to gain experience across a range of relevant settings. For example, adult nursing students complete placements in hospitals, GP surgeries, nursing homes and in community nursing environments while those studying mental health nursing undertake placements in relevant mental health settings such as community, in-patient, primary care and specialist services.

Well-prepared students

Our students are thoroughly prepared for the placement experience. They have a clear understanding of what is expected of them, what they are expected to learn and the competencies and behaviours that they are expected to display throughout the placement. A proportion of practice hours are now utilised for simulated experiential learning which enhances aspects of interpersonal skills, enhanced clinical skills development and proficiency in aspects of assessment and treatment. It is through these experiences, as well as their academic studies, that they are able to make a positive contribution to patient care throughout their careers.

Advantages to employers

There are a number of benefits to placement hosts, including having students who are familiar with the latest developments in nursing involved with patient care. Evidence of involvement in practice supervision and/or assessment can provide crucial evidence for all registered staff as part of continuous professional development. For nurses and nursing associates this can help with revalidation as per the NMC requirements. Coventry University nursing students are based in Coventry and Warwickshire, London, Scarborough and the East of England and could be a pipeline for your workforce. All or our courses are also approved as apprenticeship routes and offer the chance to develop your own teams.