Kirstie Sharpe, Kathyrn Jones, Nasreen Ali

Integrated health and social care services require interprofessional working, with the Nursing Associate role being unique in nursing positions in that Nursing Associates are trained to work across all care settings and across the lifespan, making them the ideal professional to be placed within integrated working contexts. The aim of this project is to understand the experience of Nursing Associate students placed within the Discharge and Rehabilitation (DART) and Reablement Teams (RT) and contrast this against the experience of Social Work students who have been placed in the team on a longer term basis. This will be achieved through the following objectives:

Objective 1: Establish current practice within the DART and RT teams and evaluate the approach taken to achieve integrated care from a professional and stakeholder perspective.

Objective 2: Evaluate the understanding of students and apprentices of their practice in integrated care and integrated practice through discipline specific focus groups.

Objective 3: Explore the development of understanding of students and apprentices during their placement within the DART and RT through use of virtual reflective diaries.

Objective 4: Undertake interviews with staff within the DART and RT and patients to evaluate the impact of integrated care placements have on those providing and receiving care.