Royal College of Nursing (2026) The perfect storm: the economic crisis in higher education (video).

• Webinar recording available on the RCN Education Forum web page. Hear directly from Professor Jane Ball, Professor Dave Clarke and Dr Rachael Major as they unpack the financial pressures shaping nurse education today.
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Tamburello H and Stainton R (2025) The nurse educator workforce in higher education in England: capacity, challenges, and trends. RCN: London.

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Royal College of Nursing (2025) Fixing the leaking pipeline: Measures for growing and retaining nursing students, apprentices and early career nursing staff in England. London.

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Palmer W, Reed S, Hemmings N, Julian S, Bodea M, Oaten R and Plotkin L (2024) Practice learning in nursing and midwifery education: an independent rapid review. London: Nuffield Trust.

• This report from the Nuffield Trust and the Florence Nightingale Foundation was commissioned by the NMC. It examined the evidence relating to regulations and standards around students’ practice learning. It investigated how well NMC requirements are being implemented, and the challenges in providing optimal practice learning placements for the next generation of nurses, midwives and nursing associates.
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Nursing and Midwifery Council: Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SSSA) Supporting information hub.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Future nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses. London: NMC.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Standards of proficiency for nursing associates. London: NMC.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2023) Standards for education and training.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2023) Supporting information for our education and training standards.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) The Code: professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. London: NMC.

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NHS Education for Scotland (2025) Practice learning handbook for practice supervisors and practice assessors. Edinburgh: NHS Education for Scotland.

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NHS Education for Scotland (2025) A national framework for practice supervisors, practice assessors and academic assessors in Scotland. Edinburgh: NHS Education for Scotland.

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NHS Wales (2023) All Wales practice learning framework.

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World Health Organization (2016) Nurse educator core competencies. WHO: Geneva.

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We would like to thank the RCN Education member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Bassot B (2023) The reflective practice guide: an interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection. 2nd edn; London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.

• Access through RCN Library

Feeney Á and Everett S (2020) Understanding supervision and assessment in nursing. Los Angeles: SAGE.

• Access through RCN Library

Gopee N (2023) Supervision of learning and assessment in healthcare. 5th edn. Los Angeles: SAGE.

• Access through RCN Library

Johns C (ed.) (2022) Becoming a reflective practitioner. 7th edn. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Leigh J and Roberts D (eds.) (2021) Supervising and assessing student nurses and midwives in clinical practice: a practical guide. Banbury: Lantern.

• Access through RCN Library

Lidster J and Wakefield S (2022) Student practice supervision and assessment: a guide for NMC nurses and midwives. 2nd edn. London: Learning Matters. 

• Access through RCN Library

Parsloe E and Leedham M (2022) Coaching and mentoring: practical techniques for developing learning and performance. 4th edn. London: Kogan Page.

• Access through RCN Library

Pedrick C (2026) Simplifying coaching: how to have more transformational conversations by doing less. Open University Press.

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Wareing M (ed.) (2025) Practice supervision and assessment in nursing, health and social care. London: Routledge.

• Access through RCN Library

Woodward S, Bassett S and Stuart C C (2026) Supervision, learning and assessment in clinical practice: a guide for nurses, midwives and other health professionals. 4th edn. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

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Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

• Coaching
• Clinical teaching
• Placement
• Reflective practice
• Teaching methods

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

• Practice based learning
• Practice supervisor
• Practice assessor

Journals of interest for practice based learning. Use these links to see details of availability.

• Journal of Nursing Education
• Nurse Education in Practice
• Nurse Education Today

Advance HE: Fellowship

• Advance HE fellowship demonstrates a commitment to professionalism and provides recognition of practice, impact and leadership in teaching and learning. Four categories reflect the diverse roles of those who teach and support learning in higher education, from positions where teaching and learning is only part of the role, to senior professionals with strategic impact on teaching and learning at an organisational, national or international level.
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Health Education England and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic Programme

• Research training awards for health and social care professionals, excluding doctors and dentists, who wish to develop careers that combine research and research leadership with continued practice and professional development.
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