Support Learning And Assessment In Practice: A Case Study

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A mentor is expected to support students as well as to assess their knowledge, skills and professional approach to their work (Walsh, 2010). It is unnecessary at this stage to labour the notion that such a close relationship may colour the mentors’ final assessment in favour of a weak student.
The NMC (2008) outlines in ‘Standard to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice’ what the expectations are. In the process of learning the student is to be observed both formally and informally and guided by the best and safest models of practice. There needs to be an on-going support for the student throughout their placement. The mentor must gather evidence, duly recorded, of their charge’s competence and needs (Harvey, 2012). This is central to assessing a student’s capacity for nursing (Gopee, 2011). …show more content…

I should then be better placed to make a judgement on how to proceed. Shaw and Fulton (2012) suggest that learners should profit from their errors and be able to rectify them instead of having their efforts instantly rejected. Thorough learning comes through trial and perhaps error but with every chance of recovery.
If any feedback session is to be successful this is no time for a rather subjective skill to a mentors’ monologue, a mutual exchange must be encouraged. This ought to be an occasion of exchanges of profit to both parties (Clynes & Rafferty 2008) and criticism, good or bad, should always be based on evidence (Brockbank & McGill 2010). Only after careful observation as well as in-depth feedback sessions should a summative assessment be arrived at (Shaw & Fulton,