Quality clinical experience for students is built on a strong partnership between the academic organisation and their clinical practice partners. This strong partnership needs to be apparent in the RN – student partnership, nurse educator/ clinical tutor connection as well as at senior manager levels. Wintec and Waikato District Health Board have been working collaboratively to enhance their relationship, taking a partnership approach to workforce development.
Our focus has been on learning together as a nursing community. A shared educator/clinical tutor development day was successful in strengthening connections. Tools to foster communication including newsletters and shared email addresses have been implemented. Significant activity to improve support and links for preceptors has occurred. A whakatau or formal welcome to the DHB for all students before placement begins has been another new initiative. Committing to partner with the learning of 200 fresh faced students has been powerful for all who attended. This presentation explores the strategies implemented to strengthen the academic/clinical partnership