The Forensic Healthcare Specific Preceptorship Programme, designed for international nurses, was developed by a clinical nurse specialist at the Hellingly Centre. They spotted a gap in training and support for newly qualified nurses who wanted to work in forensic settings.
Previously, the Hellingly Centre relied heavily on bank and agency staff due to the difficulty of recruiting nurses into mental health secure services, which can be a challenging work environment. However, since launching the preceptorship programme 18 months ago, coupled with an international nursing recruitment drive, the staff vacancy rate at the Hellingly Centre has dropped from 80% to 18%. Eighteen international nurses were recruited into forensic services across in Sussex.
The face-to-face preceptorship programme, which runs for two years, covers topics such as writing care plans, undertaking observations and working with patients in seclusion, as well as subjects tailored to the needs of the preceptee. It is offered in addition to the core nursing preceptorship programme delivered by Sussex Partnership.
Lou Saxton, Nurse Consultant at the Hellingly Centre said: "Transitioning from being a student to a newly qualified professional is challenging and students don't get much exposure to forensic environment when they are training.
"Feedback from participants has been very positive who say that the preceptorship programme has helped them to feel more confident at work and that it creates a sense of belonging within the team."
Having completed a nursing programme in India, Priti Rajeswari Amma decided to pursue a career in forensic mental health nursing and joined Sussex Partnership just over a year ago.
"After the preceptorship programme I could feel the difference in how I worked based on what I'd learned. It has helped me to understand the importance of de-escalation and using trauma-informed care to improve the experience for our patients."