Civic Engagement placements

Liverpool John Moores University is committed to being an engaged civic University. In the Faculty of Health, we recognise the importance of promoting health through community engagement and consider this vital in preparing future healthcare professional for the role they will play after graduation.

Building on our partnerships across the region, we want to provide learning experiences that will deepen students understanding of health and the impact of the wider social determinants. By supporting students to gain this experience together we can build a future workforce with the knowledge and skills required to shape and provide services that meet the needs of local people.

As well as gaining an understanding of the complexity of people’s lives nursing students have skills to bring to the placement. Nurses are considered trustworthy professionals by the public, which allows them to support the work of local organisations. Contact with nursing students may also raise the aspiration of local people for further education and jobs in health and social care.

  • Our students are required to provide an enhanced DBS certificate at the beginning of their training, they then sign a statement each academic year to confirm there have been no changes. This is standard practice for Higher Education and meets NHS requirements. If required you can ask the student to provide their certificate prior to the placement commencing.
  • Students are trained in safeguarding, consent, GDPR and infection control
  • All travel expenses incurred by a student during the placement are submitted by the student to LJMU and covered by the NHS Bursary scheme
  • Students need a local supervisor to oversee their experience and to sign their timesheet
  • LJMU can provide support and training for staff involved and will oversee final assessment
  • Students are competent in using MS Teams for meetings and virtual working
  • Students would be with the organisation for up to 32 hours a week (1 Study Day/ week)
  • Placements for each nursing student will generate a tariff payment from NHSE 

What do we expect students to do during these placements?

  • Listen to people's stories to understand the things which are important to them
  • Develop a deeper understanding of how social inequalities impact health
  • Develop an awareness of the help and support available in our communities
  • Observe how support workers
    • Respond to declarations of distress
    • Assess need
    • Plan support
    • Evaluate the social impact of the service they provide
  • Additionally, third-year students should explore
    • Leadership styles outside the NHS
    • Service evaluation and audit
    • Service user engagement
    • Staff wellbeing strategies
    • Policy and evidence based practice

Some students will be involved in co-producing health promotion activities. For example to raise awareness of common health issues, to develop health literacy, digital literacy for health, English as a foreign language (ESOL) sessions for accessing health care, mental health first aid. 

What are the students expected to learn?

At the end of the placement, students will be expected to:

  • explain the impact of social inequalities on the health of the service users
  • identify how the service provider supports vulnerable groups
  • illustrate the interest of the service provided by presenting a brief description of a situation (this will also be used for group work after the placement)
  • recognise the interest of multi-agency working for future nursing practice

How will students be assessed?

Longarm supervision - To conform to current NMC regulations, student learning outcomes will be assessed by a member of LJMU staff in partnership with the local supervisor.  

What do our students say about their civic engagement placements?

Nursing students are expected to show competence in 7 key areas:

Show all sections

Being an accountable professional

Promoting health and preventing ill health

Assessing needs and planning care

Providing and evaluating care

Leading and managing nursing care and working in teams

Improving safety and quality of care

Coordinating care

We expect students to be able to show these proficiencies by demonstrating an understanding of the service offered and illustrate service provision through the stories of service users.

News

27 October 2022 - London

The LJMU civic engagement placement project for nursing and midwifery was runner-up in the Health Creation Alliance Coming of age award for community connector 2022.

The awards were followed by a reception at the House of Lords hosted by Lord Victor Adebowale and Lord Nigel Crisp.

Photographed left to right: Pamela Donaghy, Amanda Robinson, Victoria Graham

Patient Experience Network awards 2022

Patient Experience Advocate of Tomorrow Advocating for Service-Users Who Are Hearing Impaired 

Winner Kirsty Ross nursing student adult on placement with Merseyside Society for Deaf people | MSDP tweet

Photographed left to right: Kirsty Ross, Dawn Dignam (MSDP)

For further information contact: 

Trudy Hutchison: Placement Lead for Nursing
Email: T.Hutchison@ljmu.ac.uk 

LPLteam: LPLteam@ljmu.ac.uk