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Newly qualified nurses and midwives – Preceptorship

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) recognises that newly-qualified nurses and midwives need support when they start their first role after qualifying. This support is called preceptorship. Preceptorship is a structured period of transition where nurses and midwives are supported by an experienced practitioner (a preceptor). It is designed to help develop confidence and enhance competence, critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Our Preceptorship Programme is a fantastic start to your career in nursing at one of the world’s major teaching trusts with a reputation for excellence in patient care, multiple clinical specialties and clinical research. It is available in every clinical division at the Trust, including general medicine, cardiac, haematology, renal, liver, surgery, private patients, neurosciences, and clinical decisions.

Eligibility

If you join the Trust as a Band 5 nurse or midwife, and you are new to the NMC register, you will be automatically enrolled on this one-year training support programme.

We recruit to these roles via recruitment campaigns for newly qualified nurses and midwives and job fairs / open days. These roles are permanent, so you do not have to apply for a new position once you have finished the preceptorship programme.

Course content

The course teaches you practical skills that will be useful to you on your very next shift. It is broken down into study days, to match your development on the wards.

  1. Self-development, including adjusting to being on the professional register and thinking outside of the box.
  2. Essential nursing skills that you may not have been exposed to as a student nurse.
  3. Advanced assessment of patients.
  4. Improving your communication skills, including active listening using Sage and Thyme.
  5. ALERT course on how to care for deteriorating patients.

Support

Being on the ward a when you are newly qualified can be daunting, but don’t worry: you will never be far from a source of support. You will have a Preceptor in the clinical area who will support you through the course. You will also have a Facilitator or Practice Development Nurse who will oversee your training, offer you support, and help you make the most of your learning opportunities. You can also turn to the Preceptorship team, who will explore challenging situations via ongoing clinical supervision.

Contact details

Preceptorship programme

Email: [email protected]

Recruitment queries

See our Contact the Recruitment team age.