Wanting ‘to belong’ somewhere is a strong human instinct and something I have been reflecting on a lot recently. My thoughts have focussed on how many student nurses in the class of 2022 will find this ‘sense of belonging’ in the community-nursing sector. As we start to welcome thousands of students into community practice learning environments over the coming months, I am confident that many will find a kindred spirit. I certainly found mine.
Whilst contemplating this sense of belonging, I have found myself reminiscing about those halcyon days of student nurse training. I was fortunate to have a positive learning experience, where I often met district nurses (DNs) deeply committed to creating effective learning environments. Their transformative leadership skills were apparent and as a faithful follower, I flourished. They continuously strove to create psychologically safe environments in which to learn, thrive and further develop those all-important prerequisites that are crucial to providing authentic person-centred care (McCormack et al, 2021).
Assessment of learners has a multifarious application within nursing and at its core, is a relationship focussed on professional development. Whatever its context, effective support for learning and assessment in practice relies heavily on a core set of professional skills (Launer, 2014). I fondly remember healthcare professionals who always took the time to facilitate meaningful reflective discussions between patients’ home visits; they always gave constructive feedback at the appropriate time and always managed to remove any self-doubts about capabilities. This type of learning support requires skill. What impressed me the most, however, was their ability to always provide support with a smile and plenty of laughter.
This faithful attention to ensuring an excellent student experience, where I felt valued as a member of the district nursing team demonstrated not only skill, but also support for my professional development. I was always reassured when this support was on abundant display. None of the anonymity experienced by some students in large higher education nursing cohorts was going to occur on the DNs’ watch. I was never just the student. I always had a name.
Reassuringly, I also witnessed a deep commitment to creating those ‘communities of practice’ promoted by Wenger (1998), where a shared learning goal also provided a truly supportive forum for the development of my skills and proficiencies. The support for my learning was, without question, transformational and helped me thrive.
Interestingly, complex caseload demands could have hampered my overall learning experience. It is highly commendable that whilst tasked with supporting students, alongside leading community nursing teams, DNs still managed to facilitate transformative learning and assessment experiences. It is also noteworthy that, against this backdrop of competing pressures, I always felt supported by the team with encouraging words and random acts of kindness.
Imagine my pride in our profession when I read a recent report from the Queen’s Nursing Institute(QNI) (2022) that suggests a very warm welcome still awaits students on pre-registration community nursing placements. Thankfully, those warm smiles and little acts of kindness continue to be a feature for those at the beginning of their nursing journey. I am now even more reassured that many of them will one-day return to the community-nursing sector, where they once felt they truly belonged.