Learning Journal
Brave enough to learn
Self Directed Learning
22/7/25
Often students are told that they need to take control of their own learning, to know what they don’t know and how to teach themselves to fill the gaps. But are we giving them enough direction and guidance to do this? Are we setting them up to be masters of their own development whilst on placement, or setting them up for failure?
It is easy to assume that when we say to students ‘spend some time reading the patients notes’ we are opening up a whole world of exciting, interesting and engaging learning. They have full access to a patients history, assessments, life story and care plans, they can get lost for hours and come out the other side an expert in that persons lived experience.
The student experience, however, can feel like they are drowning in too much information that they have no idea where to begin with. They can spend hours mindlessly clicking through page after page of data not knowing how to get the most out of the experience and ending the day exhausted but no more knowledgeable.
In my latest ‘placement horror story’ video, a student spoke about just this experience- being told to read the notes, but with no idea how to learn from this. So, how do we make this activity actually meaningful, and not make the students feel like we are trying to keep them busy and out from under our feet?
The answer is simple, we need to scaffold their learning. For learning to be effective, students need clear guidance on what they’re learning, why it matters, and how to engage with it, not just access to content and a vague hope they’ll figure it out. A few simple prompts, questions, guidelines or tasks can make a overwhelming task into an engaging and meaningful developmental opportunity that can keep your learners occupied when you don’t have the time for hands on education.
Click below to watch my video responding to a student experiencing this situation
Click below to visit the educator download page, where you can download my guide: “Making Patient Records an Educational Tool” – a practical resource to help you scaffold this task for students on placement.
Brave Enough to Learn
14/7/25
The role of courage in education may not be an obvious one, but it is one we cannot neglect or dismiss. Student nurses are often encouraged to ‘take the initiative’ ‘ask questions’ and ‘get involved’ in the care being provided. However, all too often we forget how hard it can be to speak up, to ask questions or to take the lead. ‘Student’ is often seen as a role within the team, not a human being experiencing the placement in their own unique way.
There is also an expectation for Practice Assessors and Supervisors to give realistic feedback for learners, educate and develop them, and sometimes fail them; often without acknowledging how difficult this can be in a culture of ‘failing it too much paperwork’.
The reality is that for clinical education to be meaningful, we need to be brave. Brave enough to learn. Brave enough to teach and honestly assess. Too many times are students put under pressure to perform, ask questions, take the lead, take the initiative, reflect, improve, learn, practice, grow and progress, but without the support and environment to have the courage to do these things. It takes confidence to learn, to self assess and recognise our strengths and areas for improvement, to look at our practice and be honest about what went well and where we messed up. Students are often having to do these complex, difficult and sometimes painful processes alone, with no one to be a safe space for them, to support them, validate them and guide them through the start of a lifelong relationship with reflection. Assessors and supervisors often expect students to not only take control of their own learning, but to provide it, evaluate it and evidence it alone. This doesn’t come from a place of neglect, dismissal or apathy. It often comes from being burnt out, over worked, short of time, under resourced and unprepared for what it means to develop the next generation of nurses.
This is where courage and bravery can significantly improve the learning experience for all. We need to create safe, effective and brave spaces for our learners and educators to come together for the shared purpose of development and ultimately improved patient safety and outcomes. So what does a brave learning space feel like? It’s a space where students are given a clear map of their learning, where they are empowered to control their own development, in a team who value their role. If students and educators have clear, explicit and shared expectations it offers structure, guidance and clarity. It’s a space where students know exactly what is expected from their knowledge, skills and values, so they have a benchmark to reflect on. It’s a space where reflection is not just valued, its championed as a valuable tool for students to both develop as nurses, but also offer valuable evidence for Practice Assessors. A brave space is created with compassion, openness, honesty, humility and coproduction. A brave space is where everyone feels safe and confident to bring their whole selves to the team, where vulnerability and honesty are valued and respected.
So, what is your role in creating and engaging in brave spaces?
Students, click here
Educators, click here.