Nursing electives: an innovative and creative learning opportunity.

Nursing elective can provide the nurse (learner or registered nurse) with a host of new opportunities to experience and observe practice from a variety of different perspectives. The nursing elective should be planned well in advance and much time and thought should be given to preparing for this activity. There are a number of resources (human and material) available to help with the planning of the event and as such careful and thorough planning at an early stage can make the activity much more successful. The funding of the elective event needs to be thought about early on in the planning stage if this is likely to be an issue. Practical considerations, such as insurance cover, honorary contracts, travel and other documents must also be considered carefully. The elective opportunity has the potential to provide the individual with a unique experience, a chance to delve deeper in relation to a particular area of interest as well as potentially experiencing the provision of health care through an alternative lens. The success of the elective largely depends upon the amount of effort the individual puts into it.