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Sign Off Mentors Training Resource

Background to Role

The NMC set the standards of education, training and conduct that nurses and midwives need to deliver high quality healthcare consistently throughout their careers. In September 2007 the NMC made the 'Standards to support learning and assessment in practice' (see link) mandatory. In which it required decisions about whether a student has achieved the required standards of proficiency for safe and effective practice for entry to the register must be made by a sign off mentor.

From 2007, all student Nurses have an 'Ongoing Assessment Record' which they keep with them throughout their training and at the end of each placement the mentor documents on the students performance and areas for development.

From April 2010, all Student Nurses whom are in their final placements and commenced on the course from 07.10 would have been issued with an O.A.R document, and must be signed off as fit to join the register by a sign off mentor. (Excluded from this are students whom have deferred or interrupted their studies and started prior to 07.10).

The sign off mentor must review all the documentary evidence including the ongoing achievement record, clinical skills book, student portfolio and using their own judgment of the student's performance during their final placement and all the other evidence make a judgment about that student's competence to qualify.

To Gain Competence as a Sign Off Mentor

In order to make this judgment of competence a sign off mentor must have been assessed on 3 occasions at carrying out the role on a final placement student. In the NMC 05/2010 circular it has been stated that the first and second supervisions may now be effected using a range of methods which include the use of interactive electronic resources. The final assessment must be a real student in practice assessed under supervision by a practice teacher or qualified sign off mentor. This website has been designed in conjunction with this, in that sign off mentors can now be assessed on 2 of their assessments using a scenario based e-assessments. The final assessment will still be completed by a qualified practice teacher or sign off mentor. These assessment should be recorded on trust documentation (as appropriate).