Abstract

The Blended Learning Adult Nursing programme at the University of Sunderland is one of only seven blended learning nursing programmes in the country, and the only one of its kind in the North East. Much of the theoretical content of the course is delivered online, meaning that students can access learning at a time that is convenient to them. Just over half of the course is spent on clinical placement at a local North East hospital trust.

The unique design of the Sunderland blended learning nursing programme makes the clinical placement element of nurse training more flexible and accessible for students with family, caring or work commitments. The students spend only 25-hours per week during their clinical placement blocks. These part-time clinical hours are available to students because of the programme’s innovative design.

For one day each week during their theoretical learning blocks students attend structured skills and simulation sessions with public carer patient involvement (PCPI) members. PCPIs are all people from the local community who have experience or expertise as patients or carers. This time spent with patients and carers in the university’s purpose built teaching facilities and living lab practicing communication and clinical skills under the supervision of registered nurses counts towards the students clinical placement hours.

Each student has a named personal academic tutor to provide academic guidance and pastoral care and a clinical link tutor to provide support whilst on clinical placement. This nurturing approach alongside the flexibility afforded from the course design has resulted in very low levels of attrition and high levels of student satisfaction and success.