A workshop for nurse mentors

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "A workshop for nurse mentors"

Norman Kelley
6 years ago
Views:

1 The Underachieving Student A workshop for nurse mentors Bernadette Wallace (TEWV NHS FT) and Teresa Moore (Teesside University)

2 The decision to fail As the named mentor, you are responsible for making the final assessment decision and are accountable for passing or failing the student. The grade you award should reflect the student s standard of practice in the latter part of the placement. The NMC standards state that mentors must keep sufficient records to support and justify their decisions on whether a student is or is not proficient (Royal College of Nursing 2007, p14)

3 Consequences of failing to fail Failing to fail could potentially have a detrimental effect on standards of care in the future workforce, putting patients at risk. There is an overpowering sense of obligation to protect the nursing profession from incompetent and unsafe practitioners that would put the profession into disrepute (Duffy, 2003; Black et al, 2014)

4 How mentoring affects nurses Mentoring students is a burden for nurses, time and energy required for the role is added to their already overloaded work day The extra pressure is stressful and burdensome for mentors Mentoring failing students was hard and painful, created extra work, created stress and worry, sleepless nights, exhaustion, challenged their values and beliefs about mentoring, shouldering the burden of responsibility, could lead to anger. (Phillips et al, 1996; Yonge et al 2002; Dolan, 2003, Ryan-Nicholls, 2004; Leners et al 2006; Black et al 2014).

5 Elements of the workshop Sharing knowledge and experience What helps mentors to manage failing students? How do mentors identify a failing student? The workshop Why don t some mentors fail students? How do mentors feel about failing a student? How do students feel when they are failing?

6 What factors help mentors to manage underachieving students? Sense of moral duty: (professional responsibility and accountability) a moral duty to fail an incompetent student ultimate duty of care to protect the public from harm Courage: Need to be brave to overcome the negative consequences of the decision for the student and self and to cope with the reputation for being the one who fails students Doing the right thing: Mentors avoided lasting moral distress by making the right fail decision, acting in accordance with their values and beliefs More support: more structured time to engage with teaching, more clinical support for caseloads, forward planning for mentor preparation, feedback on performance Personal qualities: although preparation and support are prerequisites for all mentors, it can be easy to underestimate the confidence, assertiveness and interpersonal skill involved in assessing performance, frankness, openness, objectivity and honesty Effective tools: assessment tools with rigorous criteria to measure skills Effective processes: early detection, regular meetings, identify deficits and learning needs, action plans Clear lines of accountability: mentors are unsure to whom they are accountable (Watson, 1999; Allen and Simpson, 2000; Duffy et al, 2000; Duffy 2004; McCarthy, 2006; Pellatt, 2006; Fothergill et al, 2007; Walsh, 2010; Jervis and Tilki, 2011; Black et al, 2014)

7 References Allen, C. and Simpson, A. (2000) Peer and Partners: working together to strengthen preceptorship in mental health nursing, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 7 (6) Black, S., Curzio, J., Terry, L. (2014) Failing a student nurse: A new horizon of moral courage. Nursing Ethics. 21 (2) Carr, J., Heggarty, H., Carr, M., Fulwood, D., Goodwin, C., Walker, W., Whittingham, K. () Reflect for success: recommendation for mentors managers failing student. British Journal of Community Nursing, 15 (12) Casey, D.C. and Clark, L. (2011) Roles and responsibilities of the student nurse mentor: an update. British Journal of Nursing 20 (15) Dolan, G. (2003) Assessing student nurses clinical competency: will we ever get it right? Journal of Clinical Nursing, 12 (1), Duffy, K., Docherty, C., Carnduff, L. et al (2000) The nurse lecturer s role in mentoring the mentors. Nursing Standard 15 (6) 35-8 Duffy, K. (2004) Failing Students. NMC, London Fothergill Bourbonnaise, F. and Kerr, E. (2007) Preceptoring a student in the final clinical placement: reflections from nurses in a Canadian hospital. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16 (8), Jervis, A. and Tilki, M. (2011) Why are nurse mentors failing to fail student nurses who do not meet clinical performance standards. British Journal of Nursing, 20 (9) Jokelaine, M., Turunen, H., Tossavainen, K., Jamookeeah, D. and Coco, K. (2011) A systematic review of mentoring nursing students in clinical placements, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, Leners, D., Sitzman, K., and Hessler, K. (2006) Perceptions of nursing student clinical placement experiences. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship 3 (1) 1-17 Maloney, D., Carmony, D. and Nemeta, E. (1997) Students experiencing problems learning in clinical settings in L. McAllister et al Facilitating Learning in Clinical Settings pp Cheltenham: Stanley Thomas McCarthy, B. (2006) Translating person centred care: a case study of preceptor nurses and their teaching practices in acute care areas Journal of Clinical Nursing 15 (5) McCarthy, B. (2010) Preceptors experiences of clinically educating and assessing undergraduate nursing students: an Irish context. Journal of Nursing Management, 18, NHS Lothian and NHS Borders (2010) Supporting the underachieving student:: a guide for mentors in practice NMC (2008) Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice. London: NMC Pellatt, G. (2006) The role of mentors in supporting pre registration nursing students British Journal Nursing 15 (6) Phillips, R., Davies, W. and Neary, M. (1996) The practitioner-teacher. A study in the introduction of mentors in the pre-registration nurse education programme in Wales: part 1. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23 (5), Royal College of Nursing (2007) Guidance for mentors of student nurses and midwives: An RCN Toolkit. London: RCN Ryan-Nicholls, K (2004) Preceptor recruitment and retention. The Canadian Nurse 100 (6), Skingley, A. et al (2007) Supporting practice teachers to identify failing students. British Journal of Community Nursing, 12 (1) pp28-32 Walsh, D. (2010) The Nurse Mentor s Handbook. England; Open University Press

Standards to support learning and assessment in practice

Standards to support learning and assessment in practice Houghton T (2016) Standards to support learning and assessment in practice. Nursing Standard. 30, 22, 41-46. Date of submission: January 19 2012;