Students in practice: the role of the student support midwife

Nursing and Midwifery Standards (NMC, 2009) state that the balance between clinical practice and theory for pre-registration midwifery education should be no less than 50% practice and no less than 40% theory. Time spent in clinical practice should enable students to achieve the required standards to be competent and confident at the point of registration. In September 2020 ‘future proof’ standards of proficiency for registered midwives will ensure student midwives are adequately prepared to deal with the ever more complex demands of their chosen profession (NMC, 2017). In the interim the current model of support with students being supervised by Sign-Off Mentors will remain in place. This article will discuss how one Trust has introduced the enhanced role of Student Support Midwife to co-ordinate student placements.