Karen Harrison-White and Elizabeth King explore the many benefits of this approach to clinical practice learning

The quality of clinical placements is an important factor in nurse education and depends, partly, on the quality of the mentoring. In a hub and spoke model of practice learning, pre-qualifying nursing students are allocated to their placement (hub) in the traditional way and, in addition, are formally supported by their mentor to work in other settings and with different clinicians (spoke experiences) for one week in eight. In a first pilot in three children’s wards, participants reported the wide-ranging benefits of this model, which included: a richer learning experience; a heightened sense of belonging; enhanced understanding of the patient journey; greater insight into the roles and responsibilities of the multiprofessional team; and increased awareness of possible career choices. The project’s students were able to work more confidently with different clinicians and teams, which should help them become nurses who deliver high quality, modern health care.