Abstract

Pre-registration education in healthcare often comprises a large element of placement learning, that falls out-with the direct ‘jurisdiction’ of the Education Provider. As such, there is a need to clearly establish the programme objectives and to ensure that both students and assessment staff are equipped to gain maximum benefit from the learning opportunity. The academic requirements of the Higher Education process itself however, are not always fully understood by these groups and often present an additional obstacle, in the learning process. As such, both students and developing staff, become co-learners. This work looks at a case-study of partnership learning, and illustrates how an evidence-based approach can empower learners to develop independently. In addition, it looks at how the concepts of independent learning and evidence-based practice may be used to enhance continued professional development and contribute to an improved service delivery, whilst also facilitating student learning.