Student Nurses
Overview
Student nurses can have a fantastic range of placements within primary care, including General Practice, to give an insight into the role of the General Practice Nurse (GPN). Student nurses will interact and care for a wide range of service users with varying health and medical concerns, with the opportunity to gain experience and practice many clinical skills, incorporating health promotion and screening with the management of long-term conditions. Whilst on placement, student nurses can also spend valuable time with other members of the wider multidisciplinary team. A placement in general practice can provide a good platform for student nurses to consider a career in general practice nursing, especially as a newly qualified nurse (NQN).
General Practice and Practice Nursing is an exciting career path for both newly qualified nurses and nurses wanting the move to Primary Care, there are many opportunities for career progression, the level of support and encouragement to develop is second to none and the future of primary care is very much in the Nurse led care that can be given.
Career Pathway
As an NQN, General Practice Nurse Fellowships are available, which will support the newly qualified nurse through their preceptorship and with the transition into general practice. This can include the Springboard Preceptorship programme and the Fundamentals of Practice Nursing course, which covers all the foundation skills and knowledge required whilst working in general practice. Further career progression can then include specialist training for example, in long term condition management, women’s health, travel health and physical assessment. Further opportunities then include the Specialist Practitioner in General Practice qualification or the Advanced Clinical Practitioner route; both may include having the opportunity to complete a prescribing qualification. The opportunities to upskill and develop are endless for the Nursing workforce within general practice.
Training Hub Offers
If you are a student Nurse and would like a placement in General Practice within STW, please do get in touch with Training Hub facilitators Jodie or Emma stw.generalpracticeplacements@nhs.net.
Jodie and Emma offer a weekly student nurse support session to current students in primary care and have a WhatsApp group. Stay updated with information about online and local training, best practice and anything relevant to practice nursing.
Please scan the QR code or email stw.generalpracticeplacements@nhs.net to join!
Forthcoming support sessions please email stw.generalpracticeplacements@nhs.net.
CAPE AWARDS 2025: Winners of the Innovation in Practice Award
Our Student Nurse Placement Facilitators, Jodie & Emma, attended the Annual CAPE (Celebrating Achievements and Practice Excellence) Awards 2025 with Chester University, where they were nominated for the Innovation in Practice award. This award recognises individuals or teams who have implemented new projects or processes that have resulted in a real difference to service user care, staff and student wellbeing or practice learning.
We are very proud to announce that Jodie & Emma won the award – congratulations ladies!
Useful Links
https://www.qni.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Transition-to-General-Practice-Nursing.pdf (QNI guidance for the transition to general practice)
https://www.rcgp.org.uk/getmedia/e64ab53d-f88d-416b-84ae-65a20e658fb6/RCGP-General-Practice-Nurse-competencies-2015.pdf (General practice nurse competencies)
Contact Jodie McCarthy and Emma Lyle, Student Nurse Facilitators stw.generalpracticeplacements@nhs.net
Placement Testimonial: Year 2, Hub Placement in General Practice
‘On reflection, I have found the role of a GPN to be autonomous, working in their own clinical space, the GPN enjoys a 1-2-1 relationship with the patient. Having the time and space to communicate their concerns, the patient may visit for a specific type of consultation, however this may evolve in to an entirely different consultation if dialogue highlights another concern. In this respect, I have observed and been involved in delivering holistic, patient-centred care, focussed on improving outcomes. I have enjoyed bearing witness to the respect and trust between professional and patient, often built up over years, which has at times left me feeling quite emotional.
I have found the GPN role to be uniquely broad in terms of the variety of responsibilities and opportunity to care for patients throughout the life course. The role requires flexibility in approach and adaption to different situations and no two days are the same. I have enjoyed experiencing the different specialities with in the GPN role to include patient triage, child immunisations, management of chronic illnesses, wound management, sexual health, women’s health, urgent care and mental health.
The benefit of attending placement at a Medical Practice is the breadth of roles to observe, first hand experiencing the benefits of integrated inter-professional working in primary care. I have observed the seamless coordination and transition of care between Practice Nurse, Physio Therapist, Social Prescriber, Mental Health Nurse and General Practitioner.
Experiencing a GP placement during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown me how adaptable the Medical Practice team is in responding to the challenge of coordinating and administering a mass vaccination programme. It has been a real privilege to play a small part in vaccinating the local population, and I thank all the team for allowing me this opportunity.’
Could your GP Practice host a student learner?
The Training Hub facilitators can guide you through the process of preparing for a student, taking as much work away from you as possible and letting you enjoy the benefits that come from hosting a student! Here are some key gains:
- Students exposed to primary care are more likely to consider a career within it.
- Hosting students is known to improve retention of existing staff.
- The critical thinking skills of your current team will be improved.
- The addition of learners to the practice team brings in diversity and creative thinking.
- It gives other roles experience of teaching, raising their profile as educators.
- Hosting a student can bring additional income into the practice.
We encourage all practices to consider offering a student placement; our local area offers excellent examples of primary and community care provision. If we have convinced you to start your journey to placing students, please get in touch! Any questions, or if you would like to host more students in your practice or become an assessor or supervisor, Jodie and Emma can be contacted by emailing stw.generalpracticeplacements@nhs.net
Student Support Sessions Flyer
QR code replacing “Forthcoming support sessions please email stw.generalpracticeplacements@nhs.net. “
· Additional information as per below to be added and positioned above – Cape AWARDS 2025 Winners of the Innovation in Practice Award and to include the attached certificate.
o STUDENT NURSING TIMES AWARDS 24.04.26
Our Student Nurse Facilitators, Jodie and Emma were shortlisted in two categories at the Student Nursing Times Awards this year for Partnership of the Year and Community Placement of the Year. This was a great honour to be shortlisted and despite not wining an award, the Training Hub Team had an amazing day at the event in London. It was very special for the Jodie, Emma and the team to be recognised for all their hard work that is put into supporting student nurse placements and promoting primary care as a career choice.
