PRACTICE PLACEMENT - EDUCATIONAL SELF ASSESSMENT AUDIT
NB: Please note that if you complete this electronic version of a self-assessment audit, a record
of it needs to be submitted to the UWE PSNET site, to be placed in the common self-assessment
repository, which is visible to all audiences. This document can be distributed or edited for
completion purposes but it will not constitute as a final record until it is handed in to the Quality
Assurance Officer in the agreed format. If the answer to any of the grey areas questions below is
a YES you will need to enter an action in the Action Plan at the end of the document.
PLACEMENT NAME:
DATE AUDIT COMPLETED:
COMPLETED BY:
Trust / Organisation:
Placement Site (if applicable) :
e.g. Hospital, Community Centre
Placement Address:
Telephone No.
Placement Representative
Name / Job Title
Telephone No.
Email:
Practice Education Lead(s)
Telephone No.
Email:
Type of Placement / Speciality
Client / Patient Groups
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CAPACITY: NB: If the Max No. data is at Trust/Directorate or other level please provide supplementary
information by individual placement area that shows how many students each area can take. The overall
number must equal the Max Nos. given below. This situation commonly arises for Midwifery and
Community Nursing placements.
Maximum
Number
Regular
basis
STUDENT - TYPE
BSc
YR
1
BSc
YR
2
BSc
YR
3
PG
Dip
MSc
COMMENT
Diagnostic Imaging
Mental Health
Occupational
Therapy
Allied Health
Professions
(AHP)
Physical
Paramedic Science
Physiotherapy
Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation
Radiotherapy and Oncology
Adult
Child
Nursing and
Midwifery
Mental Health
Learning Disabilities
Midwifery
Health and
Social
Sciences
Specialist
Community
Public Health
Nursing
(SCPHN)
Health Visitors
School Nurses
Occupational
Health Nurses
Social Work
Other / comments / information
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1) Heading 1 - The NMC requires suitably prepared mentors who can assess the progress of
students in practice learning environments.
Mentor preparation status includes the undertaking of a recognized course to support their role as a
mentor.
N.B. for the purposes of this document, a recognised course is one that has been provided by a
Higher Education Institution or been accredited by the NMC (this may have been part of another postregistration award e.g. community nursing, or top up of AI to mentor qualification).
1.1. Please state whether there are nurses / midwives in your placement who have suitable training?
Answer:
1.2. Is an action required to meet and maintain mentor numbers in the placement? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
2) Heading 2 - The NMC requires mentors to undertake activity to keep up to date with their
mentorship role each year.
1.1. Number of mentors on your placement?
Answer:
1.2. The number of mentors who have undertaken an update in the last 12 months? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
3) Heading 3 - The NMC requires mentors to understand the students' learning outcomes and
practice assessment paperwork.
1.1. How do your mentors keep themselves up to date with the students' learning outcomes and
practice paperwork?
Answer:
1.2. Do mentors need more help in the use of the documentation? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
4) Heading 4 - The NMC requires that all nursing / midwifery students are allocated a named mentor
for the duration of the placement.
N.B. All mentors of midwifery students must be Sign Off mentors
1.1. Please describe the process in which students are allocated mentors in your learning
environment
Answer:
1.2. Is an action needed to ensure that all students have a named mentor in place for the whole of
their practice allocation? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
5) Heading 5 - The NMC describes the maximum ratio of students to mentors.
1.1. In your learning environment, please indicate the usual ratio of students to named mentors at any
one time
Answer:
1.2. Does the placement need to bring the students to mentors ratio down to 3:1 or less? (create
action)
Answer (Yes/No):
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6) Heading 6 - The NMC requires that student are supervised directly or indirectly by a mentor for
40% of their time on placement. ( i.e. 2 shifts per week)
N.B. For the purpose of this document, indirectly means that the mentor has discussed the student's
individual learning needs with the professional who has delegated responsibility for supervising the
student and will receive timely feedback from that person.
1.1. Please describe how this standard is maintained in your learning environment
Answer:
1.2. Is an action required to ensure that mentors can demonstrate they are directly or indirectly
supervising at least 40% of the student's time while on placement? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
7) Heading 7 - Students benefit from a planned induction to the learning environment and
introduction to key individuals who will be important during their period in the placement.
1.1. Who is responsible for providing the local student induction at the placement?
Answer:
1.2. Is there an agreed content for local induction?
Answer:
1.3. Does the placement have an induction pack / workbook? If so, when it was last updated?
Answer:
1.4. Is an action required to standardize local induction / update workbook? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
8) Heading 8 - Information relevant to the learning environment and practice learning experience
and opportunities should be held in a placement resource file or folder that is easily accessible to
the student. This may be a paper or electronic folder.
1.1. Please describe how this information is held in the placement.
Answer:
1.2. Who is responsible for keeping this folder information up to date?
Answer:
1.3. Is an action required to collate or update the placement resource file? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
9) Heading 9 - Important policies and procedures that influence care in your learning placement
must be easily accessible to students.
1.1. Where are the placement policies and procedures stored?
Answer:
1.2. Is an action required to make these policies and procedures more accessible? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
10) Heading 10 - The NMC wishes to see evidence that promote fairness and consistency (validity
and reliability) of assessment by mentors.
i.e. Mentors in the team should have agreed what evidence the students need to produce to
demonstrate competence.
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1.1. What opportunities are there for mentors in the placement to discuss what criteria they are using
and how they make assessments? (if working as the only mentor, what opportunity do you have
to meet other mentors to compare your activity)
Answer:
1.2. Does the placement have written evidence describing how mentors make assessments and what
is expected of the students at different stages of their programmes?
Answer:
1.3. Is an action required to promote fairness and consistency of mentors' judgments? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
11) Heading 11 - The evidence base of your practice and clinical decision making should be explicit.
e.g. major policy documents that direct care.
1.1. How do you demonstrate the evidence base for your practice to the students?
Answer:
1.2. Is an action required to demonstrate the evidence base of your practice to the students? (create
action)
Answer (Yes/No):
12) Heading 12 - It is good practice to utilize student feedback to reflect on the quality of learning.
1.1. How does the team get feedback from the students about the quality of their learning experience
before they leave?
Answer:
1.2. Are UWE / other universities, student evaluation of practice reports reviewed by the practice
team?
Answer:
1.3. Is an action required to enhance understanding of the student experience in your placement?
(create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
13) Heading 13 - Mentors must be able to get help from the university with students who are
experiencing difficulty in practice. All mentors should be aware how to find information and seek
help from their employing organisation and from the student's university.
For UWE Students:
- Practice Support Line ( 0117 328 1152 )
- Practice Absence Reporting Line ( 0117 328 3283 )
- Practice Support Net Website
- Academic in Practice
- Practice Associate Lecturer in Midwifery
- Tutor
1.1. How are these advertised in your placement?
Answer:
1.2. Is an action needed to familiarize mentors with these channels of communication? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
14) Heading 14 - Feedback from services users and carers regarding the quality of the student's work
and behaviour is to be encouraged.
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1.1. How does your team gain the views of service users and carers about the students in your
practice placement?
Answer:
1.2. Does the placement need a plan to include user and carers' views in the assessment of students?
(create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
15) Heading 15 - All universities should hold an information Profile about the placement for students
to use in preparation for placement
i.e. at UWE this is known as the ARC Profile
1.1. When your practice profile was last reviewed?
Answer:
1.2. Are there any changes that have occurred in the last 2 years (last self- assessment) in regards to
this placement that need to be added /amended in ARC which would help prepare students for
your practice area? (create action)
Answer (Yes/No):
ACTION PLAN
Heading
No
Objective
(what)
1)
Mentors
Numbers
2)
Mentor Updates
3)
Documentation
for Mentors
4)
Named Mentor
Allocation
5)
Mentor Ratio
6)
Mentor
Supervision
Action
(how)
Responsible
(who)
Timescale
(when)
Progress
(process
or
evidence)
Sign off
(when
completed)
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7)
Induction/
Workbook
8)
Placement
Resource File
9)
Policies and
Procedures
10)
Mentor Fairness
and Consistency
11)
Practice
Evidence Base
12)
Enhance
Student
Experience
13)
Channels of
Communication
14)
User and Carers
Views
15)
Changes to
Placement
Profile
N.B. Document naming format requirements ► Self Assessment – [Placement Name][Date(ddmmyy)]
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