Wendy Watson Senior Lecturer Edinburgh Napier University/ Lead Practitioner for Practice Education NHS Lothian

 Background  Proposed Student calculation Tool  Progress to date  Implementation Plan

 Student numbers decided by the Scottish Government  Based on work force planning requirements  High numbers in current work force nearing retirement  Student numbers continue to increase-up 10% this year  NMC -Students need to spend 50% in practice

 Service re-design  HV requirements  ITU re-organisation in NHS Lothian  Wards opening –temporary  Wards closing/reconfiguring at short notice  Health/Social Care Agenda

 There is inequity and inconsistency in student numbers within placement areas where staffing and care contexts are similar.  There is no obvious correlation between current NMC Mentor and student numbers in placement areas.  How and where placements are utilised is not always reflective of student learning needs, university programmes or current and future services and roles.

 Work is being under taken across NHS Lothian and NHS Borders to scope and develop the use of a student allocation calculation tool to address issues highlighted

Background  The work is based on a formula considering bed/staff numbers and mentor numbers and builds on positive feedback from work carried out in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire.

This will be based on a formula considering bed/staff numbers and mentors.  Scoping currently in progress across all fields of practice  Different calculations for wards(? 4 beds one student) 1:1 care delivery areas and community settings  Proposed mentor calculation -1.5 mentors per student

 (a) In-patient bed holding areas: 1 student per 4 beds (0.25 wte students per bed)  (b) Day patient bed/trolley areas: 1 student per 4 beds/trolleys  (c) One to one care delivery areas (e.g. ITU; Theatres; OPD; Treatment Room): beds/treatment areas divided by 2 = student number  (d) Day hospital services and community nursing services: 1 student to every 2.5 wte registered nurses/midwives (excluding Senior Charge Nurses/Team Leaders and including Community Practice Teachers)

NHS Borders  Discussions ongoing to consider implementation of a calculation tool NHS Lothian  Data is being collated from placement areas in relation to current student/mentor numbers and this is being re-calculated to show changes if the calculation tool is used

Meetings now taking place with Associate Nurse Directors to discuss their individual results using the proposed tool and highlight any issues that are foreseen. Issues will include  Lack of trained mentors  Lack of registered staff  Current university curriculum not suitable for proposed student increases eg theatres and ITUs so will not be possible to implement until the new ENU curriculum is commenced in September 2016

 Any specific areas which will not be able to meet the agreed calculation within the next year will have alternative arrangements in - line with clinical reality agreed by the local Associate Nurse Director  Once individual Associate Nurse Directors have agreed the calculations (and any alternative arrangements) for their areas the tool will be phased in over the next year.  This will involve the local PEF meeting with the Charge Nurses with the paperwork for the new allocations and any phased arrangements.

January 2016  Allocations to be made in accordance to agreed Student allocation tool where possible within current curriculum Sept 2016  Calculation tool implemented to full potential