Mentor Update
The Pre-registration Nursing Assessment
Documentation
June 2006
Universities of Leeds
Practice Partners
Background
• Need for flexibility of placements
• Recognition that students from the West
Yorkshire region access services from around
the region
• Need for single assessment tool to facilitate
this movement and ease mentor work
created by differing documentation
• Recognition that the UoL & LMU document is
bulky and not easy to use (Major Review
2006)
A Single Assessment Tool
• Needs to be user friendly
• Meet NMC regulations
• Enable student to demonstrate Fit for
Practice, Fit for Purpose and Fit for
Award
• Meet individual University curriculum
needs
Background
the four Universities - University of
Bradford (UoB), University of
Huddersfield (UoH), Leeds Metropolitan
University (LMU) and University of
Leeds (UoL) agreed the process for
assessing students in practice
Single Assessment Document
Assessment of
Practice
Stage 1 (CFP) novice
Stage 2 care of single client &
family/carer – non- complex
cases
Stage 3 – care of groups of
clients & families/carers and
for complex cases
Stages may coincide with
academic years depending
on the programme.
Linked to NMC Outcomes &
Proficiency statements
Guidance notes for
mentor/student for each
outcome/proficiency
Skills Workbook
Stage 1 – Generic skills
required for all branches
Stage 2 & 3 Branch specific
skills
The 2 documents are
intrinsically linked i.e. a
student can not demonstrate
proficiency within the
Assessment of Practice
document without
demonstrating proficiency at
the skills required to
complete that proficiency
• The re-approval event for LMU (May 06)
& UoL (March & May 06) agreed to use
this process within the new curriculum
commencing September 2006 (CFP)
and for students commencing the
branch programmes (Stage 2) in
September 2006.
Single Assessment Tool –
Mentor Contribution
• Within the curriculum development
groups prior to the re-approval events –
students also involved at this stage.
• 7th June event – comments & feedback
on work to date
Further Developments
• Four Sub groups formed – Adult, Child,
Mental Health & Learning Disabilities with
representation from each of the Universities
offering that branch
• Address mentor comments & feedback from
7th June event
• Agreement from the Universities on the
guidance notes & skills within the workbook
• To be completed by March 2007
• UoB & UoH to incorporate new Single
Assessment Tool at next re-approval event
Single Assessment Tool
Assessment of Practice
• Based on the NMC Outcomes for Branch Entry (end
of CFP) & Proficiencies for Entry to the Register
(2004) Divided into Four Domains
• Professional and ethical practice
• Care delivery
• Care management
• Personal and professional development
• ‘The standards of proficiency define the overarching
principles of being able to practice as a nurse; the
context in which they are achieved defines the scope
of professional practice.’ (p4)
Competency and Proficiency
Benner (1984) development of a variety of
traits that enable [progression from novice to
expert
5 levels of proficiency through which nurses
progress – novice, advanced beginner,
competent practitioner, proficient nurse and
expert.
UKCC (1999) Fitness for Practice – skills and
ability to practice safely and effectively
without the need for direct supervision
Competency and Proficiency
A Competence or proficiency driven curriculum
is
• Dynamic
• A continuum – movement back as well as
forward
• Must be maintained or it will deteriorate
• Develop and adapt as contexts change, new
knowledge or skills evolve
Therefore competence must be REDEFINED
on a regular basis to ensure patient and
organisational needs are met = PREP
Assessment Process
• Student will be directed by the relevant
University as to which part, or complete
domain(s) must be achieved by the end of the
defined placement (this differs from
programme to programme) but this will be
clearly defined in the development plan.
• Student & mentor will identify which skills can
be taught/practiced and assessed within the
placement
• Discussion and agreement of these take
place in the Preliminary interview
Assessment Process
• For placements over 4 weeks in length, an
intermediate interview will review progress to date
and develop on-going learning plan
• Final interview to assess whether student has
completed successfully, placement learning
outcomes, - Assessment of Practice and Skills
Workbook signed off.
• On-going areas for development/areas requiring
further practice identified in the action plan to take
forward to the next placement
• Clinical Liaison Tutor/Link Lecturer must be involved
where students may be at risk of failing or have
significant learning needs to take forward, to provide
on-going support and monitoring
Assessment Process –
Placement Area’s Responsibility
• Allocation of mentor to student
• Map through learning opportunities within the
placement and linked experiences (i.e follow
the client through service provision/links with
other disciplines or professional groups who
enable client needs to be meet) areas to the
Assessment of Practice & Skills Workbook
(you may want to list these within your
placement induction pack).
Assessment Process – Mentor ‘s
Responsibility
• To negotiate a learning contract with the student.
• To facilitate the learning opportunities for the student to achieve
the appropriate Domains/Skills
• To contribute to the learning action plan including any
progressional issues (including absences and to contact Link
Lecturer)
• To monitor student attendance & report absences to the sick-line
• To record student progress and completion of the agreed
Domains and Skills and to award Pass/Fail
• NB for failing students it is essential to contact the clinical liaison
lecturer/link lecturer to ensure there is a tripartite meeting to
formulate an action plan. The university process means that this
should be identified around the intermediate interview but it can
occur at any time.
Assessment Process – Mentor ‘s
Responsibility
• To contribute to a learning action plan including any
progressional issues.
• Through discussion & reflection, facilitate the student
to integrate learning from related learning
experiences i.e. follow through of individual clients
experiences
• Meet with other mentors/associate mentors to identify
learning opportunities
• Attend mentor updates
Assessment Process – Student’s
Responsibility
• To attend & to record their attendance on the
Attendance Sheets – recording the hours spent in the
placement area ( i,e one ay = 7.5 hours therefore 3
days/week = 22.5 hours, 4 days/week = 30 hours etc
• To report their absences to the placement area & to
the absence line.
• To meet with mentor & agree domains & skills to
complete within the placement area to be achieved
must reflect development plan.The student will be
able to clearly identify the skills and
outcomes/proficiencies they must achieve
Assessment Process – Student’s
Responsibility
• To keep contemporaneous, legible records of
evidence towards domain.
• Ensure verification of evidence is signed off in a
timely manner (it is recommended you meet with
your mentor weekly to verify evidence)
• To evaluate the learning outcomes/module/placement
experience
• To agree time & date for intermediate and final
interview.
Assessment Process- Clinical Liaison
Tutor/Link Lecturers Responsibility
• To provide theoretical underpinnings for practice
• To set, supervise and mark the theoretical assignment for the
module.
• To build and then maintain links with the placement assessors.
• To participate in the tripartite meeting with the mentor and the
failing student to formulate a clear action plan.
• To provide support to the mentors and students to ensure that
the students meet their full potential. This may be of a pastoral
nature.
• Finally, to work together to ensure quality placements interface
with the theoretical underpinnings, to ensure the students have
the skills and the proficiencies required to practice within the
Health Care Services of the 21st Century.