DEU Academic Liaison Nurse Roles & Responsibilities

The Academic Liaison Nurse (ALN) works in collaboration with the Clinical Liaison Nurse (CLN) and DEU staff providing consistent support to assist students to: link theory to practice; socialise students into the professional nursing role; monitor progress and help staff set realistic learning goals for students.

The ALN role includes:

  • Working in collaboration with DEU Nurse Leader (NL), CLN and staff before during and after clinical placements. This includes involvement in student orientation.

  • Sharing and discussing expectation of performance with students.

  • Communicating concerns about student to: student, CLN, NL and Clinical Course Leader.

  • Undertaking formative and summative clinical assessment of students in partnership with CLN.

  • Participating in evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the DEU practice area with respect to students learning outcomes.

  • Supporting DEU staff in their student teaching role and updating them on curriculum as required.

  • Collaborating with DEU practice area on research and quality activities.

  • Encouraging student's involvement in quality assurance activities as appropriate.

Handy hints for ALNs

  • The DEU philosophy is about being flexible and creative, working together with the CLN and CNM to support students within the philosophy of the model.

  • Work with the CLN to facilitate the student orientation. The CLN is given supernumerary hours to facilitate this but how it works on the day is decided between the ALN and CLN.

  • When planning students' learning experiences take into consideration contemporary issues in clinical practice (e.g. ' Releasing Time to Care' project, ISBAR, eObservations).

  • Ask the student to explain their clinical experiences to date. Focus on individual student learning needs and facilitate learning opportunities with the CLN and DEU staff.

  • Work with the CLN/NL to plan year one medical/surgical exposure day (e.g. Pair Year One students with Year Two/B or Year Three/B student).

  • Work with the CLN to ensure support for students on appropriate shifts.

  • Review student rosters to ensure they are fair and equitable. In collaboration with CLN or Nurse Manager Facilitate changing of rosters as the weeks progress to reflect the learning needs of students (e.g. if a student needs wound care assessment and management experience and the dressing is being changed on the next morning shift then it may be necessary for a student to swap shifts).

  • Encourage students to have a variety of learning experiences. Encourage Year Three and CAP students to work more independently (under supervision) once orientated to the practice area and practice direction and delegation skills with Year One and Year Two students as appropriate.

  • Give students clear expectations of the expected level of performance in relation to their year/part in the programme and how they can achieve the NCNZ Competencies within each Domain of Practice in your DEU. Discuss this with the CLN before the students arrive and have examples for them.

  • Be clear with students about the purpose of the daily Clinical Practice Diary at the beginning of the placement and who will review it and when.

  • If you have concerns about a student discuss these with the student, CLN and the Clinical Course Leader. If required formulate and document an action plan on the Ara form 'Notes on Student Progress' outlining specific learning objectives and timeframes. This should be linked to the formative and/or summative clinical assessment forms.

  • Work with the CLN to encourage students involvement in quality assurance activities taking place in the clinical area if appropriate (e.g. perform clinical audits and feedback to staff.

  • Offer DEU staff academic support as required (e.g. literature searches, participating in collaborative research).

  • Teach students in clinical within your scope of practice.  This may include planning patient care, medication administration, or patient assessments.  Do this in conjunction with the RN who is responsible for the patient care.

ALN hours

The ALN hours are calculated according to the numbers of students per DEU and their year/part in the DEN/BN Programme. The following hours include time for formative and summative assessments.

  • Year 2, Part A and B students: 30 minutes per student per day.

  • Year 3, Part A students: 9 hours per student for the 6 week block (approx 1.5 hrs per week).

  • Year 3, Part B students: maximum of 10 hours per student for the 11 week block (approx 1 hr per week).

  • DEN, 30 minutes per student per day.

  • CAP, 1.5hrs per week

Contact hours are direct contact with students in a clinical placement including hours used for orientation and student clinical assessments. The time allocated for clinical assessment is 1.5hrs per student for formative assessment and 1hr per student for summative assessment. The allocated contact hours include a loading factor which allows for clinical preparation with the CLN, meetings related to the clinical placement and marking of clinical work. The loading factor for Part Time (P/T) ALNs clinical contact hours is decided by the Head of Department and is usually 0.2.

The ALN in conjunction with the CLN develops a plan for when they will be present in the DEU based on the hours that they had been allocated/per student/per DEU. The ALN reports to the Ara Clinical Course Leader for course and student related issues. P/T staff should contact the Clinical Manager for any professional or workload issues. Full Time (F/T) staff should also contact their Nursing Manager in relation to these issues. Please refer to Clinical Manager (for P/T tenured staff) or Head of School/Nursing Manager (for F/T staff) for more information.

Additional hours for ALN's

ALN's can negotiate additional contact or non-contact hours with the Clinical/ Nursing Manager for the following reasons:

  • There are students from different years/programmes in a DEU.

  • Multi-sited DEUs, e.g. across a clinical service or hospital.

  • When the ALN or CLN is new to a DEU.

  • When establishing a DEU.

  • When a student(s) requires significant additional input.

  • To attend any additional clinical course related meetings.

  • To undertake additional marking as requested by the Clinical Course Leader.

  • To attend an DEU workshop.

  • To attend the Ara Clinical Teaching and Learning course, Introduction to for Registered Nurses (GCCT700) Zero fees (if required).  

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Page last reviewed: 10 June 2016