Going on the clinical placement, especially for the first time, can be nerve-racking. It is important to be empowered and to act professionally and responsibly, with self-esteem, competence and autonomy (Osterman and Kottkamp, 1993). To help student midwives with this, I have designed the Ultimate Clinical Placement Buddy, an innovative notebook to help you record your experience, promoting evidence-based and reflective practice.
Being on clinical placement can be stressful. Note-taking while on shift may be challenging—sometimes even impossible. It is safe to say that most of us have, at some point, scribbled on a piece of paper which then end up in the bin. By using the Ultimate Clinical Placement Buddy, you limit writing to the absolutely essential. This provides a systematic approach to note-taking and allows you to set clear objectives and actively seek feedback on your work. This will help you understand what is required and what you have to improve to achieve a good mark.
You are in charge
It is important that you take full responsibility for your learning. It's up to you how much you will get from clinical placement. Revise areas of relevance to the clinical placement as soon as you find out where you are going by using the ‘Skills’ and ‘Competences’ lists. Be proactive and show initiative; make a note of any essential reading you have come across while on placement. Make a habit of it, and read something every day to make sure you keep up to date. Reflect on your practice and make a note of your feelings.
The tool features templates to record essential information and keep all your notes in one place. Dr Jacque Gerrard, Director of the Royal College of Midwives England, has said:
‘The student midwife Ultimate Clinical Placement Buddy is a well-thought-out and evidence-based resource developed by a student midwife for student midwives. This little handbook will be helpful to students throughout their undergraduate midwifery programme supporting self-directed learning, reflection and a place to keep notes from the student's clinical experience all in one place. It is an appealing and fun resource, with additional information including positions for labour and birth, baby checks, management of antepartum haemorrhage and postpartum haemorrhage, and much more.’
Personal development should be fun, helping you create opportunities to develop critical thinking and become the midwife you aspire to be. Don't be afraid to share your ideas; mentors often appreciate new ideas. And you never know when you might have one, so keep your mind open.
The Ultimate Clinical Placement Buddy encourages active learning before, during and after placement. There is also a website, www.midwiferylearningtoolbox.com, where you can sign up for free newsletters. The website enables you to swap ideas with other readers and help each other along.
The notebook contains simple steps to organise your clinical placement, which can deliver a positive change to your experience. We are all unique and this is your personal journey through clinical placement. The notebook allows you to write in dedicated sections, highlight and use sticky notes. It's personal to you and for you alone. Enjoy!
Third-year student midwives Abigail Sinnett, Becca Swan and Gwenllian Williams, who are committee members of the Student Midwife Society at Bangor University, North Wales, said:
‘We ordered our placement buddy notebooks at the end of our second year… wishing that they'd come out sooner! What a brilliant idea! The first half of the notebook is a shift recorder, where you can reflect back on the day, highlight what you've learnt as well as note down any particular thoughts or feelings. A nice touch is the positive little quotes that appear at the top of each shift recorder, just to get us through what are always rewarding but at times quite tough days. The second half contains the learning toolbox, which is fun, realistic and very user-friendly. We are excited and grateful that the notebooks have been created, and instantly feel better when they are in our pockets.’