Promoting community engagement in a pre-registration nursing programme: a qualitative study of student experiences

Abstract

Aims: To offer child health student nurses a broader learning experience in practice with an autonomous choice of a volunteer placement area. To reflect the changing nature of health care and the move of care closer to home in the placement experience. To evaluate participants' experiences. Design: This study used descriptive and interpretative methods of qualitative data collection. This successive cross-sectional data collection ran from 2017 to 2020. All data were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke's model. Methods: Data collection strategies included two focus groups (n=14) and written reflections (n=19). Results: Students identified their increased confidence, development as a professional, wider learning and community engagement. They also appreciated the relief from formal assessment of practice and the chance to focus on the experience. Conclusion: Students positively evaluated this experience, reporting a wider understanding of health and wellbeing in the community. Consideration needs to be given to risk assessments in the areas students undertake the placements and the embedding of the experience into the overall curriculum.