The Indirect Student Nurse Assessor Placement Pilot (iSNAPP) is a 12-month pilot programme designed to increase the number of student nurse placements within General Practice (GP) and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) across the West Yorkshire region. We know that finding the time and resources to support student nurse placements can be challenging for GPs and PCNs. That is why the iSNAPP is here to help. This initiative is all about utilising the expertise of existing Practice Nurse Assessors (PNA) and providing funding and training to expand student nurse placement capacity, within a defined 12-month period.
The line management and assessor responsibilities for student nurse placements will be delegated to an allocated Practice Nurse Indirect Assessor (PNIA) who will take overall responsibility for student nurse placements across the PCN footprint. Introducing the PNIA role would reduce the direct resource impact on individual practices when supporting student nurse placements and it would become a shared PCN model. The PNIA is responsible for the indirect supervision and final assessments of the nursing students.
Taking the decision to develop and implement the iSNAPP model will provide a robust foundation to successfully build and maintain relationships with key student nurse placement stakeholders, such as workforce leads and HEIs, and will help to ensure that the student nurse placement process is beneficial for all parties. More importantly it will give pre-registration nursing students the peer support and learning experience which they need for a successful and positive general practice placement experience, and hopefully form earlier career decisions to take up a first substantial post in primary care. By participating in this initiative, you will help to support the future of the West Yorkshire general practice nurse workforce by offering increased numbers of student nurse placements, thus helping to shape the education of student nurses, whilst also strengthening your team’s professional development and our future general practice workforce.
iSNAPP is not just an opportunity to increase placements – it is a chance to build a stronger, more cohesive PCN that supports the future of nursing and the professional development of the PCN nursing team. By participating, you will be investing in your team, your PCN, practices, and the wider community of future nurses.
