Online Mentor Update

Support for Mentors

The NMC Standards emphasise your accountability as a mentor. Duffy (2003) reported that mentors were failing to make the decision to fail students without questioning the quality of student assessment on practice. Mentors were shown to give students the benefit of the doubt and pass them when they had reservations. We needed to ensure mentors are supported to make decisions about students who they may feel are struggling to achieve in practice. Here are the details of the support systems available to mentors. All of these systems may not operate in all areas but there will be local support available. Find out what's happening in your placement area.

Practice Learning Teams (PLT):

Each placement area has a PLT linked to individual Units/Directorates and/or groups of nursing practice areas. The ways in which each team operates is agreed at local level so that they meet the needs of individual directorates and/or groups of practice areas. The functions of the PLT include:

1. Strengthening the partnerships between practice and education by providing a tangible presence.
2. Developing, facilitating and supporting students' practice-based learning.
3. Providing a forum for sharing "good practice" and the exchange of information.
4. Developing initiatives that enhance practice-based learning.
5. Participation in the update of assessors and mentors.
6. Acting as a resource for the professional development of practice staff.
7. Providing feedback to practice staff about students' evaluation of their placement experience, including action plans for addressing issues, where appropriate.
8. Contributing to the Division of Nursing Educational Audit process.

Further information regarding the PLT

Practice Support Teachers:

During 2009, the Division of Nursing developed the role of the Practice Support Teacher (PST). This role develops on aspects of the former Mentor Support Practitioner role and includes: providing support for student nurses during their common foundation year via student forums; providing clinical skills teaching to pre-registration students and also continuing support for mentors in practice and providing mentor update opportunities. PSTs are based at each centre; details can be found at the front of this update or contact your local centre for further details.

Mentors Newsletter:

Twice a year the Division Nursing also publishes a mentor newsletter. This is sent out to all practice areas and the Mentors' Newsletter is available online.

Have you seen your latest copy?

There may also be information on your local NHS Trust intranet too – check out what there is locally.