Transcript No Slide Title

Mentor Workshop:
Supporting and Managing
the Underachieving
Students
Facilitated by a Practice Education
Facilitator
Workshop Aim:
To raise awareness of the mentor role
and responsibility, and the support
available in managing the underachieving
student
Workshop Outcomes:
• Discuss the legal, ethical and professional
duty in assessing the learner
• Demonstrate an understanding of the
process of managing the underachieving
student
• Identify some researched reasons as to why
underachieving students fail to fail
The Mentors Role
A mentor is a nurse, midwife or
specialist community public health
nurse who facilitates learning,
supervises and assesses students
in a practice setting
(NMC 2005)
Who’s Responsibilities?
• QAA practice
placement standards
• Role modelling
• Appropriate level of
supervision
• Continuous
constructive feedback
• Documentation
• Communication
• Assessment
• Self awareness
• Accountability
Did You…….?
Allocate a
mentor
Discuss and
agree goals
Welcome the
student
Orientate the
student
Write a
Learning
Contract
Carry out
ongoing
assessment
Assessment
• What?
• Why?
• When?
Why?
“Most Mentors are well prepared and
carefully consider the decisions they
make, but still give students the
benefit of the doubt.
It is rare for a student to fail a
practice placement assessment”
(Duffy 2004)
Failing to Fail
• Someone else's role
• Unsure of assessment
documents
• Short placements
• Not working with student
• Previous experience
• Mentor confidence and
experience
• Unpleasant task
• Nice student
• The socialised student
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Benefit of the doubt
Not bad enough to fail
No support from HEI
Consequences for the
student
Poor/No documentation
Threat of appeal
Student anger/hurt
Too much time and effort
Too late to act
(Duffy 2004)
… EARLY
INTERVENTION IS
VITAL
HELP!!!
Peers
Colleagues
Resources
Practice
Education
Facilitator
Mentor
Link
Tutor
Line
Manager
Personal
Tutor
You need input from
all involved with the
student
Remain
Objective
Pass or Fail?
Discuss your concerns
with the student and
Document them early
Be confident and
committed to
protect the public
Seek support and
Expect emotion
Continuous Documentation
Review and adjust the
action plan/learning
contract
Continue gathering
your evidence
Revisit the CAP book
Develop and action plan
with agreed review
dates
Continuous comprehensive
assessment - Provide
Feedback and Document it
“There has to be the recognition that some
students need to fail. It is inevitable that
some students will not be able to meet the
required level of practice and it is
essential that mentors do not avoid the
difficult issue of having to fail these
students”
(Duffy 2004)
Reliable Mentoring
• Facilitates learning
• Shapes our future
• Safeguards Professional Standards
• Develops practitioners who are fit for
practice and purpose
• Safeguards the public – Duty of Care
THANK YOU
ANY QUESTIONS?