Considering the amount of time that student nurses spend out on practice placements, it’s a constant source of fascination how little time some students spend planning for this learning experience.  Even more surprising is when a student – who has done almost nothing in terms of preparing for their practice placement – is surprised when the experience does not go well for them.

I sometimes ask students to reflect on their preparation (or lack of preparation) from the point of view of the planning that would usually be required for an average two-week holiday in a foreign destination. I use this analogy as practice placement has many of the same attributes as a foreign holiday. Both require travel to an unknown location, spending time in a place you haven’t been before with people you don’t know and possibly trying to communicate in a language where you are not too confident.  Not to mention of course the financial investment that has been put into the event and the minor to major consequences that could occur as result of poor decision making. Nothing is ever perfect, emergencies happen.

It’s for these very reasons that most people would put at least some effort into planning for a holiday.  Planning would usually include considering travel arrangements in some detail. I don’t know many people who would embark on a holiday with no plan of how to get where they need to go.

Of course, when you do arrive at your holiday location there’s things to consider.  For example, the type of people who will be there, what there is to see and do, the language that is spoken. Even the most confident traveller would probably do some research on where they are going so they have an expectation of what will be there when they arrive.

As a student nurse, planning for practice placement is probably one of the most empowering things you can do to throughout your learning journey. It doesn’t take a huge amount of time either. The time it takes to follow these three top tips is well invested and will set you up for a great learning experience.

1. Plan your travel to your practice placement. This includes planning the route, timing how long the journey will take including allowances for different times of day. Do a trial run if possible. Check out the availability and cost of parking. Street parking might be cheaper than hospital parking for example, but may take you longer to walk. Remember the times and frequency of public transport also varies. Journey planner apps can be useful so consider downloading one of these ahead of time.

2. Plan your learning experience on practice placement. As a minimum you should investigate the type of specialty you have been allocated, the common health and disease problems you are likely to encounter, the learning opportunities that will be available and the key health care terms that are likely to be used in that specialty.

2. Plan for the unplanned during your practice placement. Consider who might need to be contacted if difficulties are encountered; for example illness or an unexpected life event. Consider who you might need to contact at the practice placement and university. Have these details available in your mobile ahead of time.

Kath Sharples is the owner of Health Education Consultants Australia

Kath.Sharples@heca.com.au