Contemporary nurse education places a high value on learning in the clinical environment. Combined with increasing numbers of students there are unprecedented demands on clinical areas and staff. One response to this problem has been the development of the practice placement facilitator (PPF) role. This study aimed to evaluate, over 12 months, the impact of the PPF role on the provision of practice placements, student support during placement and professional development needs of staff as clinical supervisors/assessors. The evaluation focused on three areas: capacity to accommodate students; quality of placements in relation to the role of the PPF; and the evolution of the role of the PPF. Data‐collection methods included interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and secondary data analysis. The findings of the study demonstrated that: many different groups of learners are present in clinical environments; students need to have continuity of support; clinical staff derive benefits from an enhanced understanding of the needs of learners through the work of the PPF; and that if the role and function of the PPF post is unclear and/or poorly maintained there will be detrimental effects.

The findings indicated that while the HCA Development Programme positively influenced the role of the HCA, there was a need to invest more into preparation for the restructuring of roles.

The NHS Plan (DoH, 2000), consistent with earlier policy documents, emphasises the need for integrated working between health and social care. However, the path to achieving integration appears to be littered with as many failures of teamworking as successes. This paper reports on an evaluation of the development of a team of practitioners working with clients with severe enduring mental health problems. Soft systems methodology enabled the researchers to inform service development rather than merely describing its process and outcomes. Care management was proactive rather than crisis orientated, with prompt response to subtle changes in clients' needs, facilitated by the employment of Community Support Workers. New care processes and structures enabled client and professional knowledge to be used as a resource to inform decisions about care. The practitioners managed this knowledge through informal trans-disciplinary exchange, promoting access to the fine detail of the relationship between user need and service provision.

In this article, we considered women's experiences of undertaking Higher Education (HE) study (Foundation Degree in Early Years (EY)) drawing on research based in the North of England, UK. The study, informed by a social constructionist approach, explored ten women's experiences of work-life balance and well-being alongside Higher Education (HE) study through semi-structured interviews. A focus group explored women's personal perceptions of work-life balance and well-being. The findings were analysed thematically and we argue that the formation of a third sphere of commitment (HE study) disrupted WLB and created some disequilibrium, which impacted upon the women's well-being. The women underwent a transformative process as initial academic inexperience and lack of belonging in University was replaced by confidence and student identity. This transformation was made possible through personal adaptations, diverse strategies and motivation that indicated individual and collective resilience. One noticeable strategy involved the overlapping of commitment spheres, including HE study taking place at home. While being challenging to manage, this contributed to an important cultural shift as study became normal for households, creating the 'learning family'.

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