Collaborative Learning in Placement Practice (CLiPP)

The University is working in collaboration with placement providers to develop ‘Collaborative Learning in Placement Practice’ placements which facilitates peer learning for healthcare students within the South West.

If you are interested in developing CLiPP please contact Adele.kane@plymouth.ac.uk or join our collaborative network for access to full staff/student preparation resources, including clinical tool kits and research groups.

Adele Kane

Associate Head of School Placement Learning, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth.

The CLiPP model

This model of learning originated in Amsterdam and has been adapted in the UK. It is distinct from the traditional mentorship model in both the way practice learning is organised and in the philosophy that underpins how students learn.

Key drivers

• enhancing the student placement learning experience in order to enable attainment of competency and proficiency
  
• enablement of high quality supervision and mentoring in the current climate of staff/mentor shortages and increasing demands on nursing time
  
• need to attract, recruit and retain into nursing roles – a good placement experience = recruitment
  
• need to increase capacity to secure the above and future of the profession.
  

Evidence

• students rapidly develop confidence and leadership as they coach each other as well as being coached. Additionally students take great responsibility for their learning and are more satisfied with their clinical practice than those students undergoing traditional supervision (Hellström-Hyson et al (2012)
  
• students who are coached rather than taught/mentored develop sound clinical reasoning and decision making skills and preparedness to take on role of RN (Secomb, 2008, Hellström-Hyson et al., 2012)
• increased job satisfaction for coaches and the clinical team (Fact Seeking Visit, 2017)
• increased recruitment to clinical areas where CLiP is embedded (Lobo et al 2014).

CLiPP in practice

CLiPP requires planning, preparation and project management as it requires a cultural change in supporting and assessing learning, delivering care and perpetuating best practice. The GROW model of coaching (Whitmore 2012) by supervisors and peer-to-peer coaching by students underpins learning requiring reflection and reflexivity which is already bedded into the ethos of nursing and midwifery.

Implementation

Planning and preparation of staff is key, we have several models that can be shared and developed. Students are introduced to the concepts in the preparation for practice sessions and further prepared as part of placement induction.

How it works

Students are allocated mentors for assessment, the mentors will set the initial learning plan, provide formative and summative assessments – they do work with the students however will predominantly base decisions on feedback from the supervisors therefore increasing inter-assessor reliability. A mentor is accessible for 40 per cent of the placement period – rostered mentors are allocated no more than three students (NMC, 2008).

Several students (e.g. 4/6) are allocated to a team on any particular shift, the Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for a group of patients, however the care is primarily organised and delivered by students. The RN will 'coach' the students for all the relevant activities and accept delegation of care as appropriate.

Students take responsibility for designated patients for all care delivery including liaising with MDT after one week bedding into the ward. 1st, 2nd and 3rd years are expected to work collaboratively together in caring for their group of patients, supporting and advising each other.

Reflection sessions with all students take place once a week.