Overview

The Year 1 placement module provides students with a structured and supportive introduction to specialist community nursing practice. It ensures that students receive safe, effective, and inclusive learning experiences that are fully aligned with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (2022).

Learning is situated within the Welsh health and care landscape, where community nursing plays a vital role in meeting the needs of diverse populations across rural, urban, and bilingual communities. The module reflects the Welsh Government’s commitment to bilingualism, the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and the values of NHS Wales.

The All-Wales Practice Assessment Document (PAD) for Community Nursing SPQ provides a robust framework for assessing clinical proficiency. It offers structured guidance for Practice Supervisors (PS) and Practice Assessors (PA), ensuring consistency and transparency in the evaluation of student progress.

In Year 1, students are expected to: - Begin applying theoretical knowledge to practice through experiential learning. - Demonstrate developing competence across the seven NMC platforms. - Achieve at least 50% of the required proficiencies across the seven platforms, as assessed using Benner’s (1984) Novice to Expert framework. - Complete at least two structured reflections using a recognised model.

This first year supports the development of autonomous, reflective, and person-centred practice,

The Year 1 syllabus introduces students to the foundational principles of specialist community nursing through placement-based experiential learning. Students begin to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, develop core clinical and professional skills, and achieve at least 50% of the required proficiencies across the seven NMC platforms. Learning is supported by structured supervision, reflective practice, and bilingual, person-centred care approaches within the Welsh health and care context.

Platform 1 – Being an Accountable, Autonomous Professional and Partner in Care In Practice: - Shadowing and supporting registered nurses in delivering care. - Participating in multidisciplinary meetings and patient reviews. - Demonstrating professional behaviour and ethical decision-making. - Beginning to take responsibility for delegated tasks under supervision. Focus: - Understanding the NMC Code and scope of practice. - Building therapeutic relationships with patients and carers. - Exploring autonomy and accountability in community settings.

Platform 2 – Promoting Health and Wellbeing and Preventing Ill Health In Practice: - Supporting health promotion activities (e.g., smoking cessation, nutrition advice). - Engaging with local public health campaigns and bilingual resources. - Identifying health inequalities and contributing to community education. Focus: - Applying public health principles in practice. - Promoting wellbeing through culturally sensitive and inclusive approaches. - Understanding the social determinants of health in Welsh communities.

Platform 3 – Assessing People’s Abilities and Needs, and Planning Care In Practice: - Conducting supervised holistic assessments in patients’ homes or clinics. - Gathering information from patients, carers, and other professionals. - Contributing to care planning discussions and documentation. Focus: - Developing assessment skills across physical, psychological, and social domains. - Understanding person-centred care planning. - Recognising the importance of shared decision-making.

Platform 4 – Providing and Evaluating Evidence-Based Care In Practice: - Delivering care interventions under supervision (e.g., wound care, medication administration). - Observing and evaluating patient responses to care. - Participating in discussions about best practice and clinical guidelines. Focus: - Understanding evidence-based practice and its application. - Beginning to evaluate care outcomes and reflect on effectiveness. - Using clinical supervision to explore practice decisions.

Platform 5 – Leading, Supporting, and Managing Teams In Practice: - Observing team leadership and coordination in community settings. - Supporting team communication and contributing to handovers. - Reflecting on team roles and dynamics. Focus: - Exploring leadership behaviours and collaborative working. - Understanding the role of the community nurse in team settings. - Beginning to develop confidence in contributing to team discussions.

Platform 6 – Leading Improvements in Safety and Quality of Care In Practice: - Participating in safety briefings and risk assessments. - Observing safeguarding procedures and incident reporting. - Contributing to quality improvement discussions. Focus: - Understanding patient safety principles and risk management. - Recognising the importance of quality assurance in community care. - Beginning to identify areas for improvement in practice.

Platform 7 – Care Coordination and System Leadership In Practice: - Supporting care transitions between services (e.g., hospital discharge planning). - Observing coordination of multi-agency care. - Engaging with service users and carers to understand system navigation. Focus: - Understanding the structure of health and social care in Wales. - Exploring the nurse’s role in care coordination and advocacy. - Beginning to recognise leadership opportunities in community settings.

Assessment Strategy

Within the All-Wales Practice Assessment Document (Once for Wales, 2024), students’ clinical competence is assessed using Benner’s (1984) framework. In accordance with Benner’s criteria, students undertaking the Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) (NMC, 2022) programme must achieve at least a “COMPETENT" level of practice in all platform outcomes to pass the clinical components of the programme.

By the end of year 1 (part-time pathway) students will be expected to have achieved 50% of the clinical competencies.

(By the end of year 2 (part-time pathway) students will be expected to have achieved 100% of the clinical competencies.)

Benner’s criteria is used and students undertaking the SPQ Programme must achieve at least a COMPETENT level of practice in all proficiencies within all the 7 Platforms. At the end of the programme submission point, any level of practice indicted by the PA below COMPETENT will be considered a referral, resulting in the need for resubmission.

Ongoing Achievement Record of Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualifications (NMC 2022).

Benner’s Novice to Expert Framework

Level of Competence - Description

1. Novice - Little or no previous knowledge / skills experience of the issue described and would require considerable support / teaching to improve competence.

2. Advanced Beginner - Limited previous knowledge / skills – students can demonstrate marginally acceptable performance. Would require some support / teaching to improve competence.

3. Competent - Uses their knowledge and expertise to prioritise and can see their actions in terms of long-range goals. Able to work in an efficient and organised manner due to conscious, deliberate planning. Would seek occasional support / teaching to improve competence.

4. Proficient - Considerable knowledge / skill / experience of the issue and would need little or no additional support / teaching to improve competence. The proficient performer sees the situations as whole rather than in terms of aspects. Perception is the key word here.

5. Expert - Has a vast and specialist knowledge / skill / experience of the issue described and may act as an advisor or consultant to others. No longer relies on the analytic principle (rule, guideline) to connect their understanding of the situation.

Sources of evidence to support student assessment may include: Direct observation of the student • Communication with practice supervisors and other colleagues in the practice setting • Student documentation, such as a practice assessment document or ongoing record of achievement or patient/client records • Communication with any other practice assessors • Communication with the academic assessor • Student self-reflection

Reflection At the end of each Platform there is an opportunity for the student to write a reflection to support the achievement of the platform. The student does not need to write a reflection on each Platforms: • the student is expected to complete 4 reflections by the end of the programme, • the student should discuss with their PS/PA which platforms they would like to reflect on, • the student may want to refer to other platforms/proficiencies within the reflection, • the student may use their choice of reflective model • the word count should be between 500 and 1000 per reflection The PS, PA and AA will read and discuss the content of the student’s reflection, make comments and sign.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically engage in autonomous and reflective practice through the successful attainment of at least 50% of the proficiencies for Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualifications across the seven NMC (2022) platforms, as evidenced in the All-Wales Practice Assessment Document (PAD), applying advanced knowledge and skills to complex, person-centred care within community settings.

• Using a recognised reflective model, critically analyse two practice experiences that illustrates the application and integration of one or more of the seven NMC (2022) platforms for Community Nursing Specialist Practice, evidencing advanced decision-making, person-centred care, and professional development within complex community settings.