Clinical Attachments

Clinical Attachments

We believe that our clinical attachment sessions provide our students with a wide range of clinical opportunities helping to facilitate a seamless transition between learning, examination, communication and procedural skills in a simulated environment to the clinical areas within NHS Grampian.

To achieve this, we have a dedicated team who co-ordinate and plan attachments for all of our early year students. Our two highly experienced nurse educators spend time in the clinical environments working alongside our medical students offering support and guidance as well as bedside teaching.

Early Years

Year 1

The aim of clinical attachments in Year 1 is for our students to begin putting teaching and learning of these skills into context with hospital patients and becoming familiar with the real clinical environment.

During the second term of Year 1 students receive their first experiences of clinical attachments at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by attending either medical or surgical wards over a period of four short visits. The first session focuses on ward orientation which is delivered by exceptionally supportive ward senior charge nurses who familiarise students with the ward which they will visit for three subsequent sessions.

Following ward visits, students attend ward debrief sessions where they discuss with their peers ward experience and observations. These sessions also provide an opportunity to present the cases of patients examined on the ward.

Year 2

In Year 2, our students continue to develop their knowledge and skills in communication and examination within the clinical environment, whilst gaining an understanding of the wider multi-professional delivery of healthcare. The concept of our curriculum will assist students to develop, early in their career an understanding of work done by these groups of professionals, their influence on the patient journey and how they operate widely across the organisation.

To achieve this Year 2 students are supported by the clinical attachments team during weekly placements in various medical ward areas over a nine week period. In addition to this, students also have an opportunity to attend Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Department of Medicine for the Elderly, emergency department, theatre suite, laboratory services and a number of sessions with clinical nurse specialists, radiographers and physiotherapists.

Year 3

Year 3 sees our students continuing to practise and become more confident in communication and examination skills. During ward based placements students experience taking part in case based discussions, facilitated by clinicians, when they consider investigations and principles of management of diseases applicable to patients within medical and surgical specialities.

Year 3 students continue to have a variety of clinical attachments over twenty six sessions in medical and surgical wards. Students also continue to attend sessions at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and Department of Medicine for the Elderly as well as theatres, infection prevention and control, laboratories and surgical pre-assessment clinics.

Senior Years

Years 4 and 5

Years 4 and 5 are based in the clinical environments within NHS Grampian and NHS Highland.  More detailed information can be found here.