Practice educator and student experiences (videos)
Each placement environment provides diverse learning opportunities that will enable students to become independent evidence-based and person-centred practitioners. Practice Educators aim to support existing knowledge, previous experiences and individual learning styles for a positive learning experience. Students will have opportunities to practice and extend their knowledge, communication and team-working skills, as well as demonstrate their professionalism and transferrable skills that they will require to be a registered dietitian.
In the following videos, Practice Educators and students describe their suggestions for what it may be like on A, B and C placement (what you can expect and what is expected of you). Also, how you can prepare for your placement, their highlights together with challenges that you may experience, together with tips of how to deal with these challenges constructively.
Practice Educator perspectives
Three of our dietetic Practice Educator partners will together give you an insight into the range of placements offered as part of the MNutr programme.
Preparing for different placement experiences
Hospital settings
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (1:12)
Hospitals can offer a range of different experiences that includes specialist conditions (and healthcare professionals), health promotion opportunities, home visits, audit and getting a taster of research.
Community settings
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (2:34)
As a community and mental health trust, Leicestershire Partnership provides inpatient opportunities and community clinics (adults and children), public health, home enteral feeding as well as care homes and hospices.
Mental health trusts
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (2:39)
Trusts may have younger and older adult wards (including specialist dementia), rehab facilities and a low secure forensic unit. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) working is important, along with various health promotion activities.
A, B and C placements
(5:02)
Sarah, Kayleigh and Alison talk about learning environments within A, B and C placements; the differences between each, and what you might see and do.
Practice Educator expectations of students (2:53)
Take-home messages include:
- Be open-minded
- Be prepared to work hard
- Accept that you will make mistakes – that is part of the learning process
- Listen to and value feedback. Acting on constructive feedback will help you to develop your practice
- Use the learning opportunities that you are given
- Enjoy it!
Practice Educator views of training students (3:36)
Students are seen as part of the team, bringing with them a contribution of a fresh approach and the up-to-date evidence. Supervising dietitians enjoy training their future colleagues, supporting students and watching them develop their own practice.
Student perspectives
Steve, Sam and Sam talk about their learning opportunities and what they enjoyed most. Advice for students on A placement:
- Be open-minded
- Be positive
- Keep regular reflections
Jennifer, Rianna, Rhiannon and Katy discuss their experiences on placement; spending time at a mental health hospital, in a community setting and at large teaching hospital. They describe what it is like to be on a shared placement.
A strong theme is their delight in putting their theoretical knowledge into practice, developing their skills and beginning to understand how an individual’s wider circumstances affects the dietary advice given. Their top tips for students on B placement are:
- Familiarise yourself with the assessment tools before you start placement - know what they are and where to find them
- Be professional, polite and friendly
- Make an effort to build professional relationships with Practice Educators, so that you feel part of a team
- Demonstrate your interest by asking appropriate questions
- Reflect on challenging situations and learn from them
- Each placement has its own way of doing things and each student will progress at a slightly different rate
- Trust the placement process (and the trainers) and don’t compare yourself with other students
- Be positive - don’t be afraid
- Be productive in your study time and on weekday evenings so that you can have weekends off to recharge your batteries – work hard but pace yourself
C placement
These 4 short videos show Adam, Aoife and William talking about their C placements:
Experiences on C placement (1:28)
Opportunities on C placement (2:28)
Tips for dealing with challenges constructively (2:07)
The best parts of C placement (1:39)
There are numerous excellent suggestions. Some that stand out:
- Don’t have a long commute to placement – think about your accommodation. Travelling long distances every day is tiring and can affect your performance on placement
- Be prepared and organised from day one
- Accept and act on constructive feedback
- Show your willingness to learn, and ask for opportunities to gain experience in areas you think you may be interested in
- Plan in time to unwind outside of placement – rest, exercise and enjoy spending time with family and friends