Child nursing - placement hours

nomar567

How long does placements work for child nursing?

Reply 1

LSBU

Official Rep

Original post by nomar567

How long does placements work for child nursing?

Hi,

Placement lengths range depending on the university and the hospital trusts to which you are allocated. In the first year I had two 8-week placements and then in the second year, I had three 6-week placements. It really does vary from university to university although the one thing they all have in common is that by the end of your three years of study, you must have completed 2300 hours of placement including a sign-off placement at the end of 3rd year which is usually your longest placement and where you get signed off as a nurse.

I hope this is of some assistance!

Mary,
London South Bank University Student Rep (3rd-year Children's Nursing)

Reply 2

nomar567

How long in terms of hours does a placement in child nursing last in one day?

Reply 3

Emily_B

Original post by nomar567

How long in terms of hours does a placement in child nursing last in one day?

Community placement? Usually 8 hours.
Hospital placement? 6-8 hour half days and 12-13 hour full days/nights.
All 37.5 hours a week, universities will usually give you anything between 4-10 weeks on placement at a time.

Reply 4

nomar567

Can you choose whether you want half or full days?

Reply 5

nomar567

how many days a week would a child nurse be expected to attend their placement?

Reply 6

Emily_B

Original post by nomar567

Can you choose whether you want half or full days?

Up to the placement. You're expected to do 37.5 hours a week on placement, regardless of the placement.
Whatever the shift pattern is for that placement, you're expected to do it (unless you have a plan in place for occupational health reasons)
Community placements/outpatients/a few other hospital departments can't do half days - you're expected to do 5x 7.5 hour shifts a week, so 7x half days a week (7x3.75hrs) wouldn't add up to the the 37.5 hours a week you're expected to do.
Hospital (mostly ward/ED) placements & nursing homes - you're expected to do 12-13 hour days/nights with the occasional half day to make up your hours. (My ward run off the following hours: long day 730am-830pm, night 8pm-8am, early 730am-230pm, late 130pm-830pm. The local nursing home right by the hospital site work 745am-8pm and nights 745pm-8am. )

(edited 5 months ago)

Reply 7

nomar567

What about for mental Health nursing?

Reply 8

Emily_B

Original post by nomar567

how many days a week would a child nurse be expected to attend their placement?

PLEASE can you put your million questions in the same thread, or title them all something other than "uni"!!!! You've titled them all "uni" but asked lot of different questions!
The answer to this particular question is... depends on the shift pattern.
You've already asked - and just I've answered about - shift patterns in your post here Uni - The Student Room
Community = 5x 7.5 hour shifts = 37.5 hours
Hospital = 3x12 hour shifts = 36 hours = if you have a 6 week placement; therefore hours needed = 37.5x6 = 225 so 36x6=216 = 9 hours short (225-216=9 hours to make up) so 2 half shifts extra would keep you over your hours. It can change if you do 11 hour nights, too.

I hope that, with all the info I've given you, you've worked out that you could be on placement for anything from 3 nights to 3-5 days, shift dependent. This applies to all branches of nursing, including adult, child, LD, MH nursing and midwifery

Reply 9

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Threads merged and title amended. :smile:

Reply 10

Verystormy

All nursing streams - adult, child, mental health, LD do the same amount of placement hours of 2300. How it is split over three years varies but expect for all placement weeks to be 37.5. it will be a mix of long days of 12.5 hours a shift and short days of 8 hours. You get no say in which as it is dependent on the placement environment. It will include days and nights.