Case study – Enhancing practice learning through Quality management of the practice learning environment: November 2025

NHS Fife’s Excellence in Care (EiC) Support Nurse, has played a pivotal role in improving the submission rates on the Care Assurance and Improvement Resource (CAIR) dashboard of the national EiC measure for Quality Management of the Practice Learning Environment (QMPLE) across NHS Fife. Engagement and education with front line staff, has helped drive meaningful change and the practice education experience and expertise of the EiC Support Nurse’s role has supported this.

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Situation

The EiC Support Nurse’s initial engagement with EiCwas driven by her awareness that QMPLE was a key quality measure within the CAIR dashboard and one where NHS Fife could improve user uptake and submission rates.

Together with the EiC Board Lead, the EiC Support Nurse set a clear objective to increase the number of CAIR dashboard users within clinical areas that supported learners. They leveraged their educational expertise to influence practice and actively engage key stakeholders in the improvement process.

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Approach

Engagement with key stakeholders was integral to the EiC Support Nurse’s approach. Examples of their engagement activity are as follows:

1. Educational expertise was used to influence practice and actively engage key stakeholders in the improvement process.
2. Connected with key stakeholders and provided education sessions on the EiC programme and benefits of the CAIR dashboard.
3. Involvement in ‘Prep for Practice’ sessions and student inductions helped normalise and promote QMPLE feedback processes.

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Impact

Improved student feedback rates

The QMPLE student feedback measure calculates the proportion of student nurses and midwives who have submitted feedback in the QMPLE system. The data below shows the total measure rate across NHS Fife.

Since the EiC Support Nurse began her secondment in December 2024, NHS Fife has seen a marked increase in QMPLE student feedback submissions. From November 2024 to April 2025, the submissions more than doubled, from 32.6% to 68.1%, with a sustained shift above baseline evident in the data.

Increased stakeholder engagement

Proactive engagement and collaboration with stakeholders have resulted in improvements being realised across a range of professional groups. These include:

• Increased engagement with university partners: who recognised the value of student feedback in enhancing practice learning environments and continue to actively promote end-of-placement evaluations.
• Wider awareness: the EiC Support Nurse’s involvement in ‘Prep for Practice’ sessions and student inductions not only enhanced the quality of learning environments but also empowered learners to confidently share feedback with clinical teams.
• Data-informed improvement: the rise in CAIR dashboard users has empowered Practice Learning Environments (PLEs) to take ownership of their feedback. Unlike QMPLE alone, the dashboard allows them to benchmark their data against other areas across the board. Some areas have even piloted ‘Excellence in Care Boards’ to showcase and review their data.

Increase in CAIR users in NHS Fife

The number of CAIR users in NHS Fife has also increased during this period. On 29 October 2024, there were 86 CAIR users in NHS Fife, which has increased by 17% to 101 users on 26 May 2025. This was considered a significant achievement and a result of the EiC Support Nurse’s engagement with clinical areas which encouraged them to use the CAIR dashboard to review their own data.

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Next steps

The EiC Support Nurse’s focus on this opportunity for improvement has demonstrated the importance of engagement and collaboration in driving measurable improvement in submission rates and user uptake. Their work has not only increased QMPLE submission rates but also strengthened relationships across clinical areas, universities, and learners. The rise in CAIR dashboard users reflects a growing interest in and culture of data-informed practice learning. To sustain these improvements, the EiC Support Nurse intends to:

• Continue to support QMPLE submissions through active discussion with clinical teams and education partners
• Promote the use of CAIR dashboard to encourage ownership of feedback and data-driven improvement
• Support ongoing improvement work in relation to QMPLE feedback and evaluation processes
• Be an advocate for Excellence in Care principles across NHS Fife and beyond
• Explore opportunities to share learning and impact through wider networks and platforms
• Consolidate experience and strengthen QI knowledge