The development of well-prepared mentors and a supported mentoring team is recognised by Willis (2012) to impact positively on student outcomes and patient care. Openness, respect, availability and accessibility was paramount to enable effective networking meetings with the Medium Secure team to explore whether the newly evolving service could be considered a clinical practice placement for students. Transparent professional discussions between the clinical staff, PEF and HEI identified potential challenges influencing students accessing the area. For example national and local policy, safety and security, stage of training, length of placement induction/orientation programmes. Thereafter, seamless joint working enabled solutions to these challenges led by the Senior Charge Nurse, Management team and the Training and Development team.
Development of mentors was a main focus at this time. Trained staff attended university to complete the Mentorship Preparation Programme. Staff were flexible in their working and showed commitment throughout this course. Firstly they had to have completed Flying Start prior to partaking in the Mentorship Preparation course. Support from the Senior Charge Nurse ensured that staff were prepared and ready to support students in the forensic care environment.
The development and implementation of a robust student induction was a priority to ensure safety and security practices were understood. In order to meet both local and national security criteria all staff who work within the unit must receive a security induction prior to secure keys being issued.
The induction training also describes the development of the service, the forensic estate in Scotland and the legislation and policy divers that underpin this development. Students will have knowledge of care pathways and the integration across levels of security, patient profiles, exit pathways and community services. The induction has a clear security focus based on the, ‘See, Think, Act - Your guide to relational security’ workbook (Department of Health, 2010). This covers the three core elements of security; physical, procedural and relational and affords students the opportunity to understand how these impact on care.Cross boundary networking and being resourceful was pivotal in facilitating the growth and development of this clinical environment to meet the Quality Standards for Practice Placements (NES 2008), SLAiPP Standards (NMC, 2008). Successful completion of the NES Educational Audit has now created exciting new learning opportunities for third year nursing students whom shall be on placement for a minimum of four weeks. This has been a great achievement for the service and staff look forward to welcoming new students to the service.
References
NMC (2008) SLAiPP Standards
NES (2008) QSPP
See Think Act (DoH, 2010)
Willis (2012)
RCN (2012)
Achievements
Preparing a Medium Secure Forensic Unit as a Clinical Placement for Students: Linking safety, policy and education.
Forensic Medium Secure Care units are a complex environment and have daily challenges staff face in terms of prioritising patient care in a safe and secure environment. Rohallion Secure Care Clinic holds the first Medium Secure unit that provides care for the North of Scotland patients and this opened in July 2012.
Forensic Medium Secure Care units are a complex environment and have daily challenges staff face in terms of prioritising patient care in a safe and secure environment. Rohallion Secure Care Clinic holds the first Medium Secure unit that provides care for the North of Scotland patients and this opened in July 2012.
