Supervising and supporting student nurses in clinical placements: the peer support initiative.

The provision of appropriate clinical supervision and mentorship in nursing students is acknowledged to be problematic for a variety of reasons (i.e., inadequate staffing levels or heavy workloads). The need to initiate and assess more suitable supervision and mentorship programmes is imperative. This report examines the dynamics of a student peer support supervision programme initiated in the School of Nursing at the University of Nottingham, whereby senior students are supervising and supporting junior students in their clinical placements. This scheme is under the overall supervision of a clinical mentor. An evaluation of the scheme through a questionnaire in 31 senior students and 27 junior students revealed three pertinent themes, including issues of preparation, support and feedback, and personal and professional development. Most students found it a useful and supportive scheme that improved their teaching and mentoring skills (senior students) or supported students and helped reduce initial anxieties with the placement (junior students). The discussion highlights how this scheme could achieve its fullest potential and the problems experienced during the piloting of the programme.