N.M.C Assessor & Mentor

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (N.M.C) has identified outcomes for mentors and practice teachers so that there is clear accountability for making decisions that lead to entry to the register. The Standards to support learning and Assessment in Practice (NMC 2008a)

 require that all registrants map their knowledge and skills against the eight domains (NMC Standards: Annex 1 page 50) in the framework, each with identifiable outcomes at the four developmental stages (NMC Standards: paragraph 1.1 page16).

Nurses and Midwives are registrants who have following successful completion of an Nursing & Midwifery Council  approved mentor preparation programme have achieved the knowledge, skills and competence required to meet the defined outcomes.

This qualification is recorded on the local register as a Stage 2 Mentors.

Once mentors have been entered on the local register (Placement Learning Support System) they are subject to triennial review.
Mentors are responsible and accountable for:

• Organising and coordinating student learning activities in practice.
• Supervising students in learning situations and providing them with constructive feedback on their achievements.
• Setting and monitoring achievement of realistic learning objectives.
• Assessing total performance – including skills, attitudes and behaviours.
• Providing evidence as required by programme providers of student achievement or lack of achievement.
• Liaising with others (e.g. mentors, sign-off mentors, practice facilitators, practice teachers, personal tutors, programme leaders) to provide feedback, identify any concerns about the student’s performance and agree action as appropriate.
• Providing evidence for, or acting as, sign-off mentors with regard to making decisions about achievement of proficiency at the end of a programme.