Tips (from nurses and students)

Getting the most out of your placement

• Discuss with your mentor at the practice what you would like to achieve from the placement. You may want to show them evidence of skills you have already achieved – learning diary, skills logs etc.
• Creating an action plan will help you achieve the skills you require and will help the practice understand how they can provide the best learning environment for you. Examples of objectives might be:
  • Learn to restrain a range of patients for various procedures
  • Improve my cat handling skills
  • Assist in theatre to help with instrument identification
  • Administer medication – by intramuscular injection
• Remember your objectives must be relevant to the stage of the course you are at. You need to master the basic skills before progressing to more technical skills
• Don’t keep annoying the mentor for a meeting all the time – plan when the most suitable time for a review would be