References
The re-emergence of the peripatetic educator in general practice
Abstract
Peripatetic nursing roles have evolved due to need of flexibility to manage a workforce which aligns with any form or need for organisational change that involves a people strategy.
Background
Recently, the re-emergence of the peripatetic educator role in primary care has appeared through funding from NHS England to address the gap of practice assessors, particularly in primary care in accordance with The Ten Point Plan for General Nurse Practitioners (2021) has been applied at scale across the Humber and Yorkshire regions. Long standing evidence has justified that student nurses and staff can develop their knowledge and skills utilising the supervisory mechanisms to enable quality supervision and assessment within clinical environments (Knight et al 2021).
Methods
A reflection on action process was utilised from peripatetic educators' reflections to investigate the quality and value of introducing a peripatetic educator to support and engage with student nurses and their supervisors and assessors in primary care networks (PCNs).
Outcomes and Effectiveness
The introduction of the peripatetic educator in general practice has had a positive impact in addressing general practice placements, specifically to enhance skill acquisition through nurse led clinics addressing key Quality and Outcomes Frameworks (QOF's); broaden placement capacity and complete proficiency assessments in a timely and successful way, by applying the long arm supervision process (Karban 1999).
Implications and Summary
Peripatetic educators can cement the required consistency and proficiency in clinical placement learning and assessments by bridging gaps between primary care networks and universities; maximise the student tariff and provide high quality clinical placements within general practice.
Ensuring the quality of clinical placements has long been a challenge in nursing education and dedicated support is needed for clinical placement expansion workstreams to support education transformation to build strong, sustainable practice educational communities across primary care networks (PCNs) partnered with higher education, (Butler 2012).
Historically, practice educators and facilitators have long provided the link between the clinical environment and higher education institutions placement teams, to manage innovative opportunities across the system in a flexible way to support learners and staff (Salminen et al, 2012).
This has sometimes been with the assistance of a contractual or project funded peripatetic educator who have been in existence for some time, but mainly a focus within large geographical acute care environments. These roles are often utilised as expanding placement capacity for students in all healthcare disciplines and their partnerships.
Unfortunately, such roles have ‘waxed and waned’ in role definition and appeared or disappeared depending on the socio-economic climate and volitivity around healthcare funding. Equally, the role has either been rebranded, realigned, or merged into other practice or academic roles, causing additional workload to an already pressured workforce within clinical or educational organisations.
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