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Aim/objective To record and learn from the experiences of students working on clinical placement in a pandemic. Background In March of 2020, final and second year student nurses in England were given the option to join the Covid-19 pandemic work-force, paid as high-level health care assistants. Methods/design Using qualitative methods and rapid analysis techniques, this study gathered the unique experiences of 16 final year students, from all fields of nursing at a University in the East of England, who chose to complete their final extended placement in a diverse range of clinical placements at the height of the first wave of the pandemic. Data was collected between July and September 2020. Results Five key themes were identified across our data: rationale for undertaking the extended placement, role tensions, caring for patients and their families, the impact on teaching and learning, and personal health and wellbeing. Conclusions While our participants reported largely positive experiences including a perceived heightened preparedness for qualification, their experiences provide important insights for nurse educators for the education and support of future students going into similar situations, in particular relating to welfare and support, preparation for placement, resilience, e-learning and learning on the front line.

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IntroductionAdvance directives are known to present challenging ethical issues in health care practice, however there is a paucity of research paramedic perspectives. When a cardiac arrest occurs in the community, end of life provisions have often not been considered by patients or the patients are unable to communicate their wishes and these are not usually known to the attending paramedic crew. These factors contribute to an ethically complex decision-making environment. Ethical deliberation contributes to practitioners’ critical thinking skills and helps prepare them for decision-making under uncertainty. This research aims to highlight and explore underlying values present within practice-based decisions.MethodsAn exploratory, interpretive study, using the Values Exchange, a web-based ethical decision-making tool, explored eighteen urban-based New Zealand paramedics’ deliberative perspectives on an ethically controversial end of life scenario.ResultsThematic analysis of participants’ free text responses ascertained the breadth of views on advanced directives, with the emergence of three dominant themes; legal tensions, multiple constructs of dignity and seeking solutions that support clinical practice.ConclusionFindings revealed that when considering situations involving advance directives, participants regarded the duty to uphold patient dignity as paramount. There was a desire for greater legal guidance and a call for increased professional education in law and ethics. This study provides insight into New Zealand urban-based paramedics’ views and experiences of this ethically challenging aspect of patient care.