How common is it for students to feel anxious about placements?
Very, says Clare Churcher, a senior lecturer in adult nursing at the University of South Wales. “Often it’s because you don’t know what to expect,” she says.
Anxieties centre around everything being new, says Suzanne Davies, who recently completed her adult nursing degree at Edge Hill University. “It’s a new ward and different ways of working,” she says. “Sometimes it can be another trust too, which has its own values that you need to understand.”
It might also be difficult hearing other students’ experiences of a placement, especially if they’ve not enjoyed it. “You might think it’s going to be the same for you,” says Clare. The reverse can be true too, with students assuming a placement will be brilliant because others have said so, then finding their high expectations aren’t fulfilled.
“I remind students that every experience is different,” says Clare. “Another student may not have liked the placement, but you might.”
What are others students worrying about?
“Are they going to like me?” is a frequent question, says Clare. “Another is: what if I do something wrong?” she says. She suggests visiting where you’ll be having the placement beforehand, if you can, so you can meet at least some of the team.
Suzanne, who was chair of the RCN UK Students Committee in 2023 and is now a newly registered nurse, agrees. “I would usually ring or email the ward and introduce myself before a placement,” she says. “I’d talk about what I’d like to learn during the placement and ask if I could come and see them before starting, so I would know where everything was when I got there. 9 times out of 10 this approach goes down well. The only challenge can be trying to get in contact, because everyone is so busy.”
How to manage placement anxiety
- Avoid listening to others’ experiences of placements, if you can, says Clare Churcher, a senior lecturer in adult nursing. “Keep an open mind,” she advises.
- Make sure you’re well prepared the night before, says newly registered nurse Suzanne Davies. “Get your uniforms washed and ready and make your lunch. I always carry a water bottle so I’m hydrated throughout the day.”
- Chat to your lecturers about what to expect.
- Take a notebook, so you can jot down questions or thoughts you might otherwise forget. “Don’t forget to take enough pens,” says Suzanne.
- Remind yourself what you can and can’t do as a nursing student.
- Be willing to share that you feel anxious, Suzanne suggests. “I’m always open and honest about it,” she says. “Staff are usually supportive and react well.”
- If you come across a medication for the first time, ask the registered nurse you’re working with if you can take the leaflet with you. “It will give you lots of information and you can read it at your own pace,” says Clare.
- Ask for feedback, says Suzanne. “Sometimes you just need validation that what you’re doing is right.”
Are some placements more anxiety-inducing than others?
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Are anxieties different for first, second and third-year students?
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What should you do if your anxiety isn蜜桃直播檛 going away?
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If you feel anxiety is taking over, talk to your personal tutor at the earliest point you can, Clare advises. 蜜桃直播淭here蜜桃直播檚 lots of help available at your university,蜜桃直播� she says. 蜜桃直播淏ut don蜜桃直播檛 wait until the placement has finished, because it蜜桃直播檚 too late to change things then.蜜桃直播�
Find out more
- Find out what support the RCN can offer you as a student member.
- Listen to RCN Magazine’s 3-part audio series just for students, Placements: A Student Survival Guide. Find out how to: prepare for placements, get the most out of them, and raise concerns during placements.
