Mentoring and enabling learning in the practice setting

A reflective account of my experience of facilitating learning, assessing and teaching a student or co-worker, and how this experience will inform my future development within the mentor or practice teacher role.

Student Number: 2930211

Word Count: 3150

Part 1: Introducing the Mentorship role

I am a band five registered paediatric nurse based on an orthopaedic and spinal surgical ward in a tertiary paediatric hospital. I am currently engaging in completing my training to become a qualified mentor. This reflective account details my experiences assessing, teaching and facilitating the learning of a student during their practice based learning, and how this experience may
Holistic assessment of competence is difficult to structure a framework, particularly when considering a students reflexive action to utilise their knowledge skills and attitude with emotional intelligence (Freshwater and Stickley 2004, Clibbens et al 2007). These issues may become more prevalent when considering the possibility of a mentors failure to fail a student (Duffy, 2003). These is somewhat rectified by the responsive development of ‘sign off mentors’ who make a final judgement on the fitness for practice of the student at the end of their training (NMC 2008b). Further support can be given to the NMC standards to support learning and assessment in practice (NMC 2008b) by documents such as ‘Guidance for mentors or nursing students and midwives’ (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2007) a toolkit which assists in providing support and strategies for mentors.

Part 3: My practice based assessment session

Practice based assessment is a core method of assessing the knowledge, skills and attitude of a student (Bloom 1956, Wallace 2003), but is complex to ensure objective management (Carr, 2004). To accommodate a diversity of patients and needs (Dogra and Wass, 2006), different types of assessment are necessary, all of which are part of the mentor student relationship (Wilkinson et al 2008, Figure 3, NMC 2008b).