<p>Student nurses are required to undergo assessment in their practice placements as part of their pre-registration programme. This process is ongoing throughout the programme and will require students to be flexible in their many interactions with these areas. This involves the need to provide evidence of their learning, together with an ability to apply this in practice. This article identifies the need for all those involved in this process to take account of the human variables that inevitably arise and incorporate strategies to ensure that the outcome is rigorous, while remaining a positive experience.</p>