Community Nursing Placements Survey

The Queen’s Nursing Institute has published a report on Pre-Registration Community Nursing Placements in England.

The report, published in August 2022, was based on an online survey undertaken in 2021, completed by nearly 1350 students.

The aim of the survey was to gather evidence about the kinds of community placements pre-registration nursing students currently experience and what additional support they might need to gain the maximum benefit from them.

46% of survey respondents said they would consider a community role on qualifying.

To understand what might attract students to consider a career in the community, survey respondents were asked what factors were most significant to them. Almost 74% stated nursing that supported individuals and families in their homes and communities as the main attraction, and continuity of care at 64%. Flexible working appealed to 71% and the diversity of roles, settings and career progression 64%. The opportunity to specialise was attractive to 60% and being able to work as an autonomous and independent practitioner was important to 54%.

Historically there has been an emphasis on learning in hospital settings, where undergraduates gain experience in generalist and specialist areas. However, with more and increasingly complex healthcare now being delivered in the community, it is essential that student nurses gain a wider range of experiences. The need to provide excellent community and primary care placements has therefore never been more important.

The survey responses showed students had undertaken a wide variety of placements, though most students had only experienced one or two community placements during their course, and 20% had not had the opportunity at the time of completing the survey (the survey was open to students at any point in their course). As the survey was carried out during the pandemic, this inevitably had an impact on the learning environment.

To view the report, click here:  Pre-registration community nursing placements survey report 2021