Supporting and assessing nursing students: your role

As a supervisor or assessor, it is important to ensure that student nurses:

• are supernumerary
• are on the duty rota for health and safety reasons
• are actively engaged in hands on delivery of care as appropriate
• are allocated a Practice Assessor
• receive ongoing feedback from Practice Supervisors regarding performance and achievement
• participate in the 24-hour cycle of care

At the same time, we do acknowledge that students have responsibilities. These are clearly stated in their practice assessment documents.

Your role in student assessment

The assessment process must contain the following stages:

• Induction and creation of a learning plan
• Midpoint review
• Episode of care
• Medicine management
• Achievement of proficiencies
• Service users' contribution to assessment

Supporting the failing student
Occasionally, students do not meet the required standard and it is necessary to fail them. In this event, it is important that students know why they have not met the pass criteria and that they have been given an opportunity to improve at the midpoint stage. It is therefore essential to:

• Have robust and transparent processes in place
• Investigate why your student may be having difficulties
• Compile comprehensive documentation as evidence
• Use support networks
• Pick up problems early
• Use Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely (SMART) objectives
• Set clear review dates
• Make clear action plans