Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery

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• Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council
  for Nursing and Midwifery
• Information session for Practice Education
  Co-ordinator posts
• Lesley Barrowman

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Infrastructure to Support Learning in Practice
The DHSSPS convened a working group to discuss
the need for an infrastructure in HSC Trusts to
support learning and assessment in practice. The
group reported in May 2007. The following are
the recommendations contained in the report.
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Infrastructure to Support Learning in Practice
HSC Trusts work in partnership to develop
organisational wide infrastructures to ensure
consistency in the management of all aspects of
practice placement experience Service and
education providers further develop partnerships
to promote new ways of working
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Infrastructure to Support Learning in Practice
An individual is employed within HSC Trusts at a
strategic level and reporting to the Executive
Director of Nursing, who will provide leadership
and ensure that there are processes in place to
manage and coordinate practice learning to
support the achievement of safe and effective care
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Infrastructure to Support Learning in Practice
An individual has the lead role in ensuring that
there is appropriate participation in all
curriculum development to ensure the demands of
the changing context of healthcare delivery are
reflected within the various programmes
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Infrastructure to Support Learning in Practice
A robust and effective performance management
framework is developed and maintained that will
ensure arrangements are in place to meet NMC
standards to support learning and assessment in
practice across a variety of care settings
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Infrastructure to Support Learning in Practice

• Individuals are employed within HSC Trusts for
  nursing and midwifery practice who can
• provide leadership for education and
  learning needs
• ensure systems are in place to teach,
  supervise and assess students and support
  mentors, sign off mentors and practice teachers
• assure the quality of practice placements
• provide liaison between service and education
  programme providers

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• NMC Standards to Support Learning and Assessment
  in Practice 2008

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New framework
Developed to assure the NMC that students
undertaking programmes have been supported and
provided with appropriate supervision and
assessment of competency by practitioners with
the necessary knowledge and competence Implemented
for students who commence programmes from 1
September 2007
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Responsibilities of Trusts
Ensure mentors and practice teachers are prepared
for their role through an NMC approved programme
and ensure sign-off mentors meet required
standards Maintain an up to date register of
mentors, sign off mentors and practice
teachers, Make provision for annual updating in
collaboration with education providers Ensure
triennial review of mentors/practice teachers
takes place (Appraisal of competence) Ensure
access to support and supervision for mentors and
practice teachers
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Responsibilities of Trusts contn.
40 of students time is supervised directly or
indirectly by a mentor/practice teacher
Mentor/practice teacher requires time with the
student to engage in learning activities Final
period of practice learning - one hour per week
with sign off mentor in addition to above Mentor
will have access to sign off mentor/practice
teacher for support where students are
failing SEE RESPONSIBILITIES PAPER ON NIPEC
WEB-SITE (NMC STANDARDS PROJECT)
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Responsibilities of PEC post
The overarching responsibility is to ensure that
students are provided with a high quality
practice learning experience that enables them to
achieve specified outcomes.
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Responsibilities of the PEC post
This will be achieved through working to the
education lead in the Trust and working with a
dedicated team of Practice Education Facilitators
with designated clerical support.
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Responsibilities of the PEC post
The PEC will be required to have a wide range of
skills and knowledge related to organisational
and management competencies and an in-depth
understanding of matters relating to practice
learning for students undertaking NMC regulated
programmes.
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Responsibilities of the PEC post

• Some of these issues are
• providing leadership, including development of
  policies and guidelines
• securing and maintaining effective practice
  learning environments for students
• knowledge and understanding of nursing and
  midwifery programmes, pre and post-registration

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Responsibilities of the PEC post

• Issues (contd)
• liaising with education providers and other
  external agencies
• working with lead nurses and midwives across
  the Trust
• securing and organising practice placements
• competence in assessment, including managing
  failing competence
• quality assurance of practice learning,
  including placement audit

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Responsibilities of the PEC post

• Issues (contd)
• ensuring mentors are practice teachers are
  available to support and assess students
• maintaining local registers of mentors and
  practice teachers
• supporting mentors and practice teachers with
  their role in teaching and supervising in the
  practice setting

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Responsibilities of the PEC post

• Issues (contd)
• ensuring NMC standards are met in full
• making arrangements for external review, as
  required

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Responsibilities of the PEC post

• The overarching responsibility is to ensure that
  students are provided with a high quality
  practice learning experience that enables them to
  achieve specified outcomes.