Partnership working to facilitate nursing students' careers

As an institution the University of the West of Scotland, School of Health Nursing & Midwifery has endeavoured to enhance articulation of nursing students from Further to Higher Education with involvement & support of Health Board partners. This area of work acknowledges that the Nursing & Midwifery Council (2004) require Higher Education establishments to acknowledge students’ prior learning to facilitate career pathways. 
A course which commenced in 2002 gave Health Care Assistants the opportunity to complete their registration whilst retaining their salary. However this pathway has diminished in progression prospects over the last couple of years due to changes in the economy. 
Partnership working between Further Education colleges and universities was consolidated further in the setting up of the South West Articulation Hub. The South West Articulation Hub Overall Plan: Outputs (2009, p. 2) acknowledged the need for a “sustainable infrastructure” to support such articulation routes. As part of the South West Articulation Hub plan the University held a series of meetings with interested colleges and Health Board partners to identify potential routes. A module was designed for students who have received a conditional offer of direct entry into level 8 / year 2 of Adult or Mental Health Nursing Degree programmes. 
The University of the West of Scotland has long standing positive relationships with local colleges hence students were recruited during their Higher National Certificate year. The Higher National Certificate year at college does have a placement element which meant students had some hours of practice as well as the opportunity to work with the same clinical assessment tool & skills book used by undergraduate first year nursing students. The newly designed module provides study skills, practice hours and other clinical skills required. The module commenced in June 2012 with 20 students from 9 different colleges. The pathway for each student was individually profiled into clinical placements. 
Following this first module students completed evaluation questionnaires on their experience of this module. Mentors completed an evaluation of their experiences mentoring this student group and college partners also evaluated their experience of partnership working with the University.
The presentation aims to highlight the evaluations of the first cohort of students as they map their pathway of articulation. The presentation also reviews the mentor and college partner feedback. It is hoped these findings will further strengthen relations between Further Education Colleges, Health Boards and the University. In addition it is intended that the evaluations will inform both Further and Higher Education institutions with regards to the development of strategies to facilitate student transition and enhance partnership working.