NCH&C recognised for the quality of its preceptorships

NCH&C accredited for the quality of its preceptorships

NCH&C is delighted to have received the National Preceptorship Interim Quality Mark.

The National Preceptorship Programme was established in November 2021 to design, develop and deliver a Preceptorship Framework for Nursing for England and associated quality standards for all health and social care organisations.

Representatives from NHS England and the Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board attended Norwich Community Hospital to present NCH&C with an award recognising the quality of our preceptorships.

Carolyn Fowler, Director of Nursing & Quality at NCH&C, received the award on behalf of NCH&C from Geraldine Rodgers OBE, Director of Nursing, Leadership & Quality at NHS England & Improvement.

For newly-qualified nurses, nursing associates and AHPs, preceptorship is an important part of their career journey. Preceptorship is a more structured approach to the first year of practice after graduation. To help ease into the transition of clinical work, during this first year clinicians are given extra support and on-the-job training. This ensures all healthcare professionals are working to the high standards we need, and setting them up for success in the rest of their career. Visit the NHS England website to find out more about preceptorships in the NHS and why they matter.

Following a thorough assessment, NCH&C was successfully awarded the National Preceptorship Interim Quality Mark. The assessing panel was particularly impressed with NCH&C’s Multi-Professional Preceptorship Policy and Preceptorship Handbook were excellent, they also stated that our Preceptorship Portfolio Workbook was ‘exemplary’.

Lynne Fanning, Head of Clinical Education and Research at NCH&C, expressed her delight with the new award:

“Preceptorship is important for us at NCH&C more so now, than ever. We are delighted to be awarded the Interim National Preceptorship for Nursing Quality mark for our work on the development of a Multi-Disciplinary policy and programme to support our preceptors and preceptees, following the newly published National guidance for AHPs and Nursing staff. The purpose of preceptorship is to provide support, guidance and development for all newly-registered practitioners to build confidence and develop full competence as they transition to autonomous professionals (National Preceptorship Programme, 2022) and we are committed to ensure that all of our preceptees are given the opportunities for support and development as they move into what may be their first post in the NHS”. 

Carolyn Fowler, Director of Nursing & Quality at NCH&C, also shared her gratitude to the teams who made this recognition possible:

“I am so delighted that NCH&C has been recognised for the support we offer to colleagues who are on preceptorship. Continual learning is vital for the development of our workforce, so it is essential that all those on preceptorship are well-supported. A big thank you to NCH&C’s Clinical Education team for their continual support of our learners, and their commitment to this particular piece of work.”

A big thank you to everyone who supports our wonderful preceptees, and who helped make this accreditation possible.