Using a Board game to enhance
mentor engagement within nurse
education in practice settings
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries
University Practice Learning Advisers
Session outline
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Welcome
Introduction to the role of the UPLA
Development of Masterful Mentoring board game
Mentor Feedback
Participant Experiential Learning
Summary and closing comments
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013
The Role of the UPLA
Rationale for the game
Effective mentors are critical in developing nurses ability to
deliver high quality care. The NMC has recognised this through
the requirement to participate in annual updates (NMC 2008).
The challenges of engaging mentors in updating:
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Priorities of patient care versus mentorship
Clinical demands
Unsupportive managers
Lack of motivation towards role
Engaging mentors to attend
Bored or not to be Board?
With an ever increasing number of students in
practice (Andrews et al 2010) our role as University
Practice Learning Advisers at Bournemouth
University lends itself to identifying new and
innovative ways of engaging mentors.
One of several strategies we adopted was the use of
a board game.
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013
Masterful Mentoring Board Game
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013
The value of using a board game for
mentoring purposes
It is designed to:
• encourage team participation
• provide opportunities to network
• create reflective practice
This is achieved through open discussion, engagement and
problem solving the common challenges of mentoring in
practice. According to Teatheridge (2010) and Gurling (2011) this
is an area often lacking in traditional mentor updating.
“An interesting way
to facilitate
discussion” (Mentor
2012)
“A very effective way
to learn”(Mentor
2012)
Educational benefits include:• Enhancing leadership skills (Bowers 2011)
• Ability to reflect on practice (Blakely et al 2010)
• Fun, enjoyment and motivational (McLafferty et al 2009)
“Made learning/update
Made by using
more enjoyable
a board game that was
fun” (Mentor 2013)
“ A good way to
reflect on
practice “
(Mentor 2013)
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013
Summary
Masterful Mentoring is :• A team interactive board game which challenges traditional
ways of updating mentors
• Relevant to any professional that teaches, assesses and
mentors students
• Informed by the NMC (2008)Standards to Support Learning
and Assessing but applicable and transferable to any practice
setting
• Evaluated positively by participants that have played it
• Supported by educational literature
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013
Jo Hirdle, RMN, D.P.S.N., MA Nursing, PG Cert in Education.
Jo is a Registered Mental Health Nurse who worked for many years in specialist addition services. Her clinical
expertise lies in facilitating therapeutic treatment interventions such as group work and one to one therapies for
clients with alcohol problems. Her role in education commenced in 2002 as lecturer practitioner at Bournemouth
University delivering the BSc (Hons) Therapeutic Interventions for addiction programme and latterly developing
the Motivational Interviewing in Clinical Practice unit. In 2007 Jo expanded her work in education and became
part of the University’s Practice Learning Adviser team. This role involves linking with a variety of clinical areas for
health and social care, providing education and support for mentors in practice. Jo enjoys the diversity of her role
which involves much liaison, collaboration and working with practice partners. She is always keen to research and
implement new ideas and innovations that can assist the delivery of practice education.
Belinda Humphries RN, Bsc (Hons) in Nursing, PG Cert in Education.
Belinda is a University Practice Learning Adviser at Bournemouth University. Upon qualification in 1987 she
worked within the acute medical field specializing in respiratory medicine. After 15 years she then experienced
the role of registration and inspection officer for the independent sector before commencing at Bournemouth
University. Since 2000 she has been a lecturer and practice education link for both pre and post registration
education in health and social care. Her interests include providing innovative ways to educate, provide guidance
and disseminate information to mentors who are supporting pre-registration students. More specifically her work
focuses on working in partnership with clinical colleagues, in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in order
to provide quality practice placements.
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013
References
Andrews,M.Brewer,M.Buchan,T.Denne,A.Hammond,J.Hardy,G.Jacobs,L.McKenzie,L.West,
S.,2010. Implementation and sustainability of the nursing and midwifery standards or
mentoring in the UK. Nurse Education in Practice,10,251-255.
Blakely,G. Skirton,H.Cooper,S.Allum,P & Nelmes,P.,2010.Use of educational games in the
health professions: A mixed methods study of educators perspectives in the UK. Nursing
and Health Sciences,12,27-32.
Bowers,S.,2011. Making a game of urgent care: simulation for nursing students.
Emergency Nurse,19,7,26-27
Gurling,J., 2011.Link mentorship: improving support for pre-registration students and
mentors. Nurse Training. British Journal of Community Nursing,16,9,435-440
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013
References
McLafferty,E.Dingwall,L.Halkett,A.,2009.Using gaming workshops to prepare
nursing students for caring for older people in clinical practice. International
Journal of Older People Nursing,51-60.
Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008. Standards to support learning and
assessment in practice. NMC standards for mentors, practice teachers and
teachers. NMC London
Teatheredge,J.,2010. Interviewing student and qualified nurses to find out what
makes an effective mentor .Practice Research Report. Nursing Times,106,48,1921
Jo Hirdle and Belinda Humphries June 2013