Work experience placements

Our commitment to you

NHS Highland will ensure that your work experience placement is a positive and effective experience. We achieve this through:

• health and safety checks and risk assessment, to safeguard you from any potential risks or dangers
• provision of appropriate support and guidance before and during your time with us
• provision of insurance cover

The application process has several stages to ensure we can meet our commitment. All work experience requests go through our Employability Team via the Work Experience Coordinator.

Please be aware that we may not always be able to support a request, due to a range of different reasons. Certain areas also have restrictions on who can undertake work experience.

What is work experience?

Work experience enables an individual to undertake shadowing and observation to support them to understand a role better.

In addition, during your placement time you will have the opportunity to experience essential work-based skills such as time keeping, team working, problem solving and working collaboratively.

What is not included within work experience?

Work experience is not a long-term experience within the organisation. A work experience placement is usually between 1 and 5 days.

Work experience is not a paid placement.

Work experience is not the placements undertaken as part of a programme of study, which have outlined learning outcomes that must be achieved during the placement (e.g. FA, HNC, HND and degree). These placements may be for a longer period of time and require a tripartite agreement between the learning provider, the student and the placement department.

Work experience should not be seen as volunteering.

No hands-on clinical experience is permitted within health and social care environments, thereby ensuring the safety of both you and our patients.

You will just focus upon one area or job role during your placement and so may have limited exposure to the range of other career pathways or opportunities that may be open to you.

Additional support

Individuals requiring additional support may be asked for additional information to ensure an appropriate risk assessment is put in place. NHS Highland will carry out a risk assessment and any reasonable adjustments will be made for applicants with additional or special needs. NHS Highland strives to be an all-inclusive organisation.

Things to consider before applying for work experience

• Be clear about what you want to gain from your experience.
• Would one of these alternative options provide you with what you need?
  • Careers in NHS Highland events
  • Careers awareness workshops
  • Volunteering
• Ensure that you have researched and have a basic understanding of the role and responsibilities of the area or profession that you are applying for.
• What is it about NHS Highland that interests you?
• When is the best time to attend the work experience placement and how will you get there?
• What skills and attributes would you bring to the role?

University applications

The requirement for healthcare-related work experience is preferred for candidates wishing to enter medical school, nursing and midwifery, mental health and most allied health profession courses. Application is through the same pathway.

Next

Continue, to read about routes into a work experience placement.