A transformed approach to student placements
A case study has demonstrated how the approach to virtual student placements adopted by HCRG Care Group during the COVID-19 pandemic provides the foundations for a sustainable and effective model for the future.
The paper has been published by SAGE Open Nursing (SON), a peer-reviewed open access journal which covers all aspects of nursing and patient care across the various nursing specialties and related disciplines.
Samantha Kane, Chief People Officer at HCRG Care Group, said: “We are committed to supporting future nurses and other healthcare professionals through quality student placements and training and are delighted to have contributed to this case study.
“The virtual placements that were put in place as a response to the pandemic were just the start for us. Using our strong background in innovation, we were able to take the experience and the feedback we received to create the model that we use today and continue to develop for our students as a sustainable way of delivering training.
“This ultimately helps us to build and retain a highly skilled workforce, which is really important in enabling us to continue our work to change people’s lives by transforming health and care.”
Back in 2020, HCRG Care Group teamed up with the Anglia Ruskin University and University of Essex to offer virtual placements for nursing students in Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service, run by the organisation on behalf of Essex County Council and the local NHS.
The organisation used this experience to embed virtual solutions as part of its standard offer to nursing students and now its learning arm The Learning Enterprise (TLE) provides a blended approach of three days a week placement experience and two days of virtual teaching. It is also looking at introducing virtual solutions for Allied Health Professional and paramedic students.
This approach provides an easily accessible, effective training package for students and has added benefits including allowing experienced health professionals from across the organisation, located across the country, to contribute to sessions, and also ultimately reducing the pressure on frontline staff.
The case study was compiled by Doctor Amanda Wagg of Angela Ruskin University and Kate Morgan of The Learning Enterprise, HCRG Care Group.
