Self Directed Sign Off Mentor Update for Nurses –March 2010
This self directed update has been developed to provide Sign Off Mentors
(SOMs) with information and guidance about the remit and responsibilities of
the role.
This should be read in conjunction with the Self Directed Mentor Update
(SDMU) which provides an overview of the implementation of the “Standards
to support learning and assessment in practice” (NMC 2006, 2008) and the
impact this has on the role of mentorship. The SDMU can be found on the
Edinburgh Napier Mentor Centre, on PWA E-manager (Help and Manuals) or
from your local Practice Education Facilitator (PEF)
Sign Off Mentors
In order to ensure public protection, the NMC needs to be assured that
students have been assessed and signed off as being capable of delivering
safe and effective practice at the end of their programme. Following the
publication of the NMC standards to support learning and assessment in
practice (2006, 2008), a Sign Off Mentor, who has met additional criteria, must
make the final assessment of practice and confirm to the NMC that the
required proficiencies for entry the register have been achieved.
The NMC identified that a Sign Off Mentor should meet the following criteria:

Be experienced mentors, identified on the local database, on the same
part (or sub part) of the register and working in the same field (branch)
of practice as that in which the student intends to achieve registration.

Have clinical currency and capability (experienced nurse within the
area of practice and clinically up to date)

Have a working knowledge of current programme requirements,
practice assessment strategies and relevant changes in education and
practice for the student they are assessing.

Have an in-depth understanding of their accountability to the NMC for
the decision they make to pass or fail a final placement student when
assessing their proficiency at the end of a programme.
Who needs a Sign Off Mentor?
This standard applies to all learners undertaking an NMC approved
programme, whose course commenced after September 2007.
2007-2009
Nurses undertaking Return to Practice Courses. Courses which are shorter
than the traditional 3 years ( Shortened Programme for Graduates , 1-1
Conversion Courses) Trainee mentors undertaking the Mentorship
Preparation Programme at Edinburgh Napier University are also required to
have an SOM supporting their learning in practice (see Appendix 1)
2010
Pre-registration nursing students on the three year programme will require a
SOM in their final (consolidation) placement from June 2010.
Four year honours degree students (QMU and Edinburgh University) will
require a SOM on their final placements in 2011.
Protected time for the sign off mentor
The SOM may be the student’s only mentor on their final placement or the
student may be allocated to a mentor as well as an SOM, (needs to be
decided locally). The NMC standards state that a mentor must supervise the
student (directly or indirectly) for at least 40% of the student’s placement
experience.
In addition to this, the NMC suggest that the SOM should have one hour per
week of protected time (pro rata) of the placement experience to effectively
undertake the student’s assessment. Therefore in a 12 week final
consolidation placement, the SOM is expected to spend about 12 hours in
assessment related activity. The NMC recognise that this time may need to be
greater in the earlier part of the placement and reduced as the student
progresses and gains confidence and competence.
How should the SOM use this time?
This protected time is to enable the SOM to undertake a reliable, valid and
comprehensive assessment of the student’s proficiency and suitability for
entry to the register. The SOM should utilise a range of evidence to support
their decision making:
Review of student’s Action Plan for the placement and the previous
mentor’s reports

Observe episodes of care delivery, care management and practical
skills

Review student’s record-keeping and documentation

Assess student’s ability to reflect on their own performance

Assess achievement of final placement learning outcomes

Observe demonstration of appropriate professional behaviours and
attitudes

Feedback and testimony of others who work with and supervise the
student e.g. Mentor, mentoring team, MDT, other professionals,
patient/client /carers etc.
The final assessment of proficiency draws on evidence of assessment over a
sustained period of time. The SOM should also review the Ongoing
Achievement Record of all students which provides evidence of their
achievement of placement learning outcomes throughout their programme.
This information should be made available to the SOM to allow them to view
the content of all previous mentors’ assessments. This process allows the
SOM to make a judgement on the student’s suitability for entry to the register
based on their progress over the entire period of their programme.
At Edinburgh Napier University this information is recorded in the students
Record of Attainment book (RAB) and contains all previous mentor final
reports, clinical skills log collation and HAI package.
Queen Margaret University: The students complete an electronic record of
on-going achievement called a Practice Placement Portfolio. This e-portfolio
includes completion of their Work Based Learning (WBL) Outcomes, mentor
reports and self-assessments of their clinical skills and experiences from
every placement. This information can be made available to subsequent
mentors and the SOM by the student accessing the Queen Margaret
University IT system or printing off a paper copy for inspection and review.
Edinburgh University students carry their Practice Portfolio to every
placement. This contains their Record of Clinical skills and their Assessment
of Practice Based Performance books which includes previous final mentor
reports.
In order to record these hourly (pro-rata) assessment activities and inform
final assessment decisions Edinburgh Napier and Queen Margaret
universities have provided documentation to record the SOM’s assessment
activities as part of the student’s documentation book.
As with any mentoring/assessing relationship, it is essential that any
concerns about the student’s progress and performance identified
during the placement period, are brought to the attention of the link
lecturer and PEF as soon as possible to obtain support and advice.
Accountability and the SOM
As a professional, you are personally accountable for all actions and
omissions in your practice and you must always be able to justify your
decisions. All mentors throughout the student’s programme are accountable
for their assessment decisions. However, as the sign off mentor, you should
ensure that you meet the NMC criteria as outlined previously to fulfill the role
of Sign-Off Mentor.
As a SOM you are signing the final placement documentation to state that you
have assessed the student’s practice performance, reviewed a range of
relevant evidence provided and are able to confirm that the learner has
demonstrated to you that they meet the competencies to undertake the role of
either a newly registered nurse, or have met the appropriate competencies for
entry to the register in the Return to practice course. The Mentorship
Preparation programme requires a SOM to allow a new mentor onto the local
database of mentors
This assessment, in-conjunction with the verification from the HEI that the
student has achieved the academic components of their programme, enables
them to enter the NMC register or local database.
As well as reading this Update paper, within the Lothian and Borders area, it
is required that mentors who are undertaking the role of SOM attend a face to
face session to enable them to discuss any issues or concerns, explore the
practical application and have the opportunity to determine support for their
role. SOM preparation sessions are usually run by the PEF team and can be
booked through the Empower /PWA /e-manager system and are delivered at
various sites across NHS Lothian. For further information about preparation
for your SOM role contact your local PEF. If requested, members of the
Mentorship Steering group can also provide SOM sessions, details of which
will be available on the napier mentor centre.
http://staff.napier.ac.uk/mentor
After Sept 09, to be annotated on the database as a SOM, mentors who are
identified as having suitable experience to undertake this additional role will
have to undertake further preparation and practice before being annotated on
the NHS Lothian’s database. However as this process is under review by the
NMC at present, please contact your area PEF for an update of how this is
progressing
Barbara Neades.
0131 455 5315
b.neades@napier.ac.uk
Appendix 1
MENTORSHIP PREPARATION PROGRAMME - Overview for SOMs
supporting trainee mentors
The 15 week Mentor Preparation Programme meets the NMC (2008)
Standards to support learning and assessment in practice. The trainee
mentor should have post qualification experience of at least one year and
during the programme will be asked to attend 5 Study Days covering the
programme content. A Portfolio of Evidence is produced to demonstrate
that the five learning outcomes have been achieved. The Sign-off mentor is
expected to review the trainee mentor’s portfolio and complete the Record of
Portfolio Achievement grid, to determine if they have successfully met the
requirements.
Programme Learning Outcomes
1. Apply knowledge of learning, teaching and assessment strategies
designed to promote and facilitate learning in the practice setting for a
range of students, in order to maximise their individual potential.
2. Utilise best available evidence and practice to demonstrate and
evaluate strategies for supporting and assessing learning in practice.
3. Interpret evidence based practice within the clinical setting, ensuring
that this is identifiable within the mentor and student’s individual
practice.
4. Critically reflect on the processes involved in supporting and managing
a learner who is failing to meet the NMC proficiencies for registration,
developing an action plan to resolve this situation.
5. Apply appropriate educational and change management knowledge, to
ensure that the learning environment is supportive and effective for
students and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
The trainee mentor will be asked to attend an initial orientation and
matriculation study day at Edinburgh Napier and the Programme content is
then delivered via WebCT and through face-to-face sessions on the
programme study days.
Portfolio
The trainee mentor will be provided with a portfolio template which consists of
guidance notes on the development of a portfolio of evidence, the specific
learning outcomes of the mentorship programme together with the sections to
insert documented evidence of how they have achieved these learning
outcomes.
The trainee mentor should gather evidence to support the achievement of the
learning outcomes from a range of activities including:

Activities as part of the WebCt input.



Work and activities undertaken as part of the face to face workshops.
Activities undertaken in the practice area with the sign off mentor.
Personal reflections on practice as a mentor.
The evidence that the student produces with the sign off mentor in practice
should demonstrate the students’ application of the theoretical principles of
mentorship with practice.
Meetings with student
As a sign off mentor it is recommended that you meet with the trainee
mentor that you are supporting 3 times during their programme. An Academic
Supervisor will also meet with the student to offer support and guidance on
the portfolio who will be a member of staff from Edinburgh Napier, Queen
Margaret or Edinburgh University.
Submission date of the Portfolio and Assessment of Proficiency
The Portfolio of Evidence and Record of Portfolio Achievement should be
submitted to the Module Leader on completion of their programme
If you have any questions please contact the programme leader.