Title: Briefing session on the NMC Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice
1Briefing session on the NMC Standards to Support
Learning and Assessment in Practice
- 10.00 Welcome and Introductions
- 10.10 The purpose of the session
-
- 10.20 NMC Competencies and outcomes for a
mentor - 10.40 Introduction to the role of the Sign Off
mentor. - 10.55 What does this mean to you?
- 11.30 - Reflection on current competencies, self
assessment. - 12.00 How to implement these Standards in
Practice - 12.30 UWE Student passport briefing
- 13.30 - Summary of the session and evaluations
2NMC Competence and Outcomes for a Mentor
3Establishing Effective Working Relationships
- Mutual trust and respect
- Integrate students into practice settings
- Supporting transition between learning
environments
4FACILITATION OF LEARNING
- Map students stage of learning to the placement
learning opportunities - Link theory/practice gap
- Support students to critically reflect
5ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
- Professional growth, personal development and
accountability - Assessment skills and managing the Failing
student
6EVALUATION OF LEARNING
- Evaluate your own practice
- Develop own practice and that of others
7CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING
- Support students with their learning needs
- Review learning environment and enhance as
required - Act as a resource for others
8CONTEXT OF PRACTICE
- Contribute to an effective practice environment
- Set and maintain professional boundaries
- Ensure an effective learning environment is
maintained
9EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
- Identify and apply to your area of practice
- Support students in applying this to their own
practice
10LEADERSHIP
- Plan to meet student needs
- Be an advocate for students
- Prioritise work to accommodate supporting
students - Constructive feedback
11Sign Off Mentor
- An introduction to the role
12 2.1.3 Criteria for a sign-off mentor
Only sign-off mentors and practice teachers that
are on the same part of the register and in the
same field of practice may confirm to the NMC
that students have met the relevant standards of
proficiency for the particular programme leading
to registration or a qualification that is
recordable on the NMC register.
13Your employer as the placement provider must
ensure that the mentor designated to sign-off
proficiency for a particular student at the end
of a programme is
- Identified on the local register as a sign-off
mentor or a practice teacher. - Registered on the same part of the register.
- Working in the same field of practice as that in
which the student - intends to qualify.
- And Additionally to be a Sign Off
Mentor.................
14- You must have
- Clinical currency and capability in the students
field of practice. - Met the NMC requirements to remain on the local
register. - Been supervised on at least three occasions (by
an existing sign-off mentor or practice teacher)
for signing off proficiency at the end of a final
placement. - A working knowledge of current programme,
practice assessment and relevant changes in
education and practice for the student they are
assessing. - An understanding of the NMC registration
requirements and the contribution they make to
meeting these requirements. - An in-depth understanding of their accountability
to the NMC for the decision they make to pass or
fail a student.
15Confirmation of proficiency
- The sign-off mentor, is responsible and
accountable for making the final sign-off in
practice confirming that a student has
successfully completed all practice requirements.
- This confirmation will contribute to the
portfolio of evidence considered by the AEIs
examination or assessment board.
16Expectations of a Mentor/Sign Off Mentor
The NMC has identified progression points
where confirmation is required that students have
met specified outcomes and competencies.
Student may not progress past these points
without a formal decision that they have met the
outcomes or competencies of a previous part of
the programme
A mentor may confirm achievement of competencies,
including those to be achieved at, or by, a
progression point. Only a sign-off mentor, who
has met the additional criteria, may sign-off
proficiency at the end of a final period of
practice learning.
All mentors may assess specific competencies
throughout the programme.
17NMC requirements Advice and guidance
It is important that mentors have an audit trail
to support their decisions. Throughout a
placement the mentor should ensure that regular
feedback is given to the student and that records
are kept of guidance given.
- Mentors must keep sufficient records
- to support and justify their decisions
- on whether a student is, or is not,
- competent/proficient.
In the final placement of a pre-registration,
mentors are required to be either a sign-off
mentor, or supported by a sign-off mentor or
a practice teacher, in order to make final
decisions on proficiency.
Mentors are responsible and accountable for
making decisions on the students achievement of
outcomes and competencies..
18NMC requirements Advice and guidance
- Sign-off mentors must have time
- allocated to reflect, give feedback
- and keep records of student
- achievement in their final period of
- practice learning. This will be the
- equivalent of an hour per student
- per week. This time is in addition to
- the 40 of the students time to be
- supervised by a mentor
Sign-off mentors will require allocated time to
ensure that students have effective feedback on
their performance so that the ultimate decision
on their proficiency is not unexpected.
Only sign-off mentors, who have met the
additional criteria, must sign-off achievement of
proficiency at the end of the programme, unless
the mentor is being supervised by a sign-off
mentor or practice teacher who should countersign
that the proficiency has been achieved by
the student.
The final assessment of proficiency draws on
evidence of assessment over a sustained period of
time. The sign-off mentor may use the student
passport and other evidence to see if competence
has been achieved and maintained previously, as
well as demonstrated in the current placement.
19Discussion of the Role
- Why has the NMC decided to make the changes?
20Fit for Practice
- Concern over the number of new registrants
reported for fitness for practice issues
21Research
- Watson and Harris (1999) found that in Scotland
some students were being allowed to pass clinical
assessments without having demonstrated
competence - They also found that some mentors did not feel
that it was their role to fail students - 46 of mentors in their survey agreed that
students were sometimes passed when not competent
22Research
- Kathleen Duffys research asked the question
- Why are some student nurses being allowed to
pass clinical assessments without having
demonstrated sufficient competence? (K Duffy
2004)
23K Duffy
- it would appear that mentors when faced with a
borderline student will often pass the student
giving the individual the benefit of the doubt
24K Duffy
- What are the consequences for service providers
and user, of decisions to employ nurses or
midwives of borderline competence?
25K Duffy
- Lecturers say that clinical practitioners hold
them responsible for problems with newly
qualified staff. The lecturers view is that
mentors who have failed to fail are
responsible,
26K Duffy
- The sixth recommendation (from the research) is
that the issue regarding the passing on of
information between placements once a student has
failed a clinical assessment requires to be
debated.
27Student Passport
- UWE are introducing the student passport in line
with NMC requirements - (NMC 2006)
- As sign off mentors you will be able to see how
the student has progressed by looking at previous
assessments and comments from the previous mentors
28Student Passport
- How will access to this passport help in the
assessment process?
29Debate
- You are happy with the students competence but
they have only just scraped through all previous
assessments. - How does this knowledge influence your decision
to pass or fail?
30Debate
- All the previous assessments are good but you are
not happy with the students competence. - How do the previous assessments influence your
decision to pass or fail?
31Debate
- You are concerned about the students competence
and your concerns are echoed by the previous
mentors. - How does this knowledge affect your decision?
32Your accountability to the NMC
- How will the NMC hold you accountable?
33References
- Duffy K (2004) available at http//www.nmc-uk.
- Watson, H. E., Harris, B. (1999) Supporting
students in practice placements in Scotland
Glasgow Caledonian University Department of
Nursing and Community Health.