1. Annual Midwifery Mentor Update 2016/2017

2. 2550 hours of Practice Placements
This is the MINIMUM number of practice placement hours the ARU BSc Midwifery course expects midwifery students to undertake. The NMC/ EU directives expect hours in practice and 2300 hours theory
An accurate record of attendance must be maintained on student-held timesheet and in the practice placement’s off-duty or rota

3. Triennial Review and its links to revalidation
Mentored at least two students in last three years.
Participated in annual updating – to include an opportunity to meet and explore assessment and supervision issues with other mentors.
Explored as a group the validity and reliability of assessing practice in challenging circumstances.
Mapped own role development against the current NMC mentor/practice teacher standards.
Deemed to have met all requirements needed to be maintained on the local register.

4. Triennial Review and Revalidation
Triennial Review is an on ongoing process
Evidence should be collected throughout the year when supporting or assessing students
Use the Triennial Review document on the mentor portal, to guide your reflection
Present this evidence at your appraisal when your Triennial Review is due, along with revalidation evidence

5. Triennial Review and Revalidation
Evidence generated in meeting Triennial review requirements can be used to demonstrate your commitment to practice in revalidation by contributing to the revalidation sections:
continuing professional development, practice-related feedback, written reflective accounts/reflective discussion
There are sections in the Triennial Review document that relate to the NMC code and NHS Constitution

6. Sign-off mentors Is familiar with student’s programme of study;
Makes the final decision on whether a student meets the required standard to enter the NMC register; and assesses clinical skills formatively and summatively
Will scrutinise evidence from student, colleagues and previous mentors to help inform their decision
This also applies to any midwives who are on an NMC approved Return to practice course at ARU– who are seeking to be readmitted to the NMC register

7. Mentorship of Student Midwives
Student midwives must have a named sign-off mentor to support them through each of their midwifery placements.
Students must work with their sign-off mentor for 40% of their placement – minimum of 2 shifts a week or 15 hours.
All midwifery mentors have to be a sign-off mentor or working towards becoming a sign-off mentor.
Midwifery mentors working towards becoming a sign-off mentor must be supervised by a sign-off mentor when mentoring students.

8. Entering and Remaining “Live” on the mentor register
NMC approved mentor preparation programme.
Been supervised mentoring students on 3 occasions ( or done 2 simulations and 1 supervised sign-off).
Have completed the Midwifery Sign-off Verification Document to enter the register.
Annual mentor update (within 12 months of last update)
Triennial review (within 3 years of last triennial review.)
Supported and summatively assessed two students within the three year cycle.

9. Concern that a student is struggling
Identify the issue early in the placement and raise it with the student. Discuss with the student how the issue could be addressed. Consider contacting the link lecturer/education champion.
Develop an action plan in collaboration with the student and provide support to help the student achieve the agreed outcomes by a set review date. Document in student’s practice assessment document.
Review progress by set date. If objectives met document this in the assessment document. If not, inform the link lecturer or education champion and discuss further action planning and consequences for the outcome of the placement

10. Cause for Concern Process
The University should be informed as soon as there is evidence of a student concern or lack of progress
A student should only be removed from practice if there are serious patient safety concerns.

11. Named ‘Live’ Mentor for each placement
Extract from SLAIP (2008) page 31
Mentors should be allocated prior to commencement
of a placement. This should be sufficiently in advance of the placement to enable both the student and their mentor to prepare adequately for the placement. The NMC would recommend that, at a minimum, this should be one week prior to commencement of the placement.’
There are repercussions for students when they are not attached to or assessed by a live mentor.
Students may have to repeat the placement and assessment if the assessor was not ‘live’ and did not meet the NMC mentor standards
There are unfortunate repercussions for students
If mentors are not allocated appropriately it gives the impression to students that the NMC, that is the professional standards, are not important. When qualifying they may have been given the impression that some NMC standards are important and some are not –

12. Due process of assessment
Induction to welcome student to setting
The initial meeting to formulate learning contracts and action plans
Continuous assessment of core professional values
The mid-point formative assessment to monitor progress, revise contract or set action plan if necessary
Seeking feedback from colleagues and service users
The end-of-placement summative assessment to assess student against set criteria, this changes yearly so all marks are available 1-10 at all points in training.

13. What’s new? Comprehensive Spending Review
From Sept 17 healthcare students will no longer receive a bursary - they will be expected to take out student loans, in line with all other University students
It is not clear yet how payment for travel to placement will be affected or how clinical placements will be commissioned

14. What’s new?
NIPE
3rd years will be undertaking this module in September 2016
Summative NIPE examinations to be with a NIPE trained sign off mentor.
OSCE (Summative assessment)

15. Content of New Curriculum
Year One (Level 4)
PROGRESSION POINT (NMC)
Year Two (Level 5)
PROGRESSION POINT
Year Three (Level 6)
Trimester One
Fundamentals of Midwifery Practice 1
(30 credits, Standard Module)
Small Group Presentation(Fine graded) & 1800 word reflective account(pass/fail)
Knowledge, research and evidence in midwifery practice
3000 word critique of research paper (Fine graded)
Midwifery Care for the woman and infant with complex needs
2 hr Multiple choice exam (pass/fail) & 3 hr written exam (Fine graded)
Promoting Health & Wellbeing in Midwifery Care
5000 word essay(Fine graded)
Undergraduate Major Project (30 credits, Project Module)
10,000 word major project (Fine graded)
Newborn Infant Physical Examination
(30 credits, Theory/Practice Module)
NIPE practice document Pass/fail
OSCE (Fine graded)
Trimester Two
Fundamentals of Midwifery Practice 2
Breastfeeding OSCE(Fine graded)
MCQ paper (including A&P/ Breastfeeding; Fine graded)
Fundamental Midwifery Skills (30 credits, Placement Module)
Practice Competencies (Pass/ Fail)
Placement Assessment ( Fine Graded)
Safe Medicate 80% pass
 Start case-load
Emergency Midwifery Skills (30 credits, Standard Module) OSCE NLS Pass/fail Random OSCE (Fine graded)
Developing professional midwifery skills
(30 credits, Placement Module)
Collaborative professional working
(30 credits, Standard module)
Annotated PowerPoint (Fine graded)
Advancing Midwifery Practice (30 credits, (Placement Module)
Safe Medicate 100% pass
Trimester Three

16. Placements Curriculum is 50% theory and 50% practice.
During placements students will work 30 hours a week clinically hours will be for guided reflection, skills or theory sessions.
Students will have the following placements through the course.
YEAR
WEEKS OF PLACEMENT
PLACEMENT AREAS
ONE
21 weeks
Midwifery placements
TWO
30 weeks
2 weeks Gynae/acute care placement
2 weeks neonatal unit placement
2 weeks non- midwifery placements
3 weeks elective placement.
THREE
24 weeks
Midwifery placements.

17. Practice Assessment Document
Students will have a separate Practice Assessment Document for each year of their course.
They are designed to enable the student to demonstrate achievement of the Standards for Pre-Registration Midwifery Education (NMC 2007) and the Essential Skills Clusters (NMC 2009) which will allow them entry onto the midwifery part of the NMC register.
The Practice Assessment Document will be bound and should remain with the student at all times.

18. Progression Points
The NMC requires that there are progression points within the midwifery course, where students have to pass all academic and practice assessments up to that point before they can proceed onto the next part of the course, or qualify as a midwife.

19. Progression Point 1
The sign-off mentor on the student’s last midwifery placement in the first year make a judgement of whether the student has achieved the level of proficiency for that year.
They will do this through reviewing the student’s Practice Assessment Document and through their own observations of the student.
The sign-off mentor will need to sign the Progression Point completion form to verify successful completion of the practice element.

20. Final progression point
The student will be allocated a final sign-off mentor in the third year.
The final sign-off mentor is responsible and accountable for assessing the student against the NMC Final Progression Point Standards.
The final sign-off mentor will need to sign the declaration to verify that the student has met the standards in order for the student to enter onto the midwifery register.

21. NIPE assessments continued
2nd year
Students must complete 10 formative top to toe Examination of the Newborn examinations, which include the HEART (part of the NIPE check). These must be assessed by a practitioner with the NIPE qualification to ensure accuracy of the Heart examination. A further 10 formative top to toe Examination of the Newborn examinations are required, but could exclude the heart if assessed by a practitioner without the NIPE qualification.
At the end of the year students MUST also undertake a summative assessment of a top to toe Examination of the Newborn.
The summative assessment must to be observed by a sign-off mentor who is a NIPE practitioner, must have done at least 3 of the student’s formative assessments.
3rd year
Students must complete the NIPE module. This includes:-
· 10 formative Newborn Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) assessments with a NIPE qualified practitioner.
· An OSCE- summative assessment which is undertaken in the University.
· Producing a practice document with evidence of all assessments.

22. Placement documents Mentor details Orientation to practice area
Learning contract
Mid-placement/interim review
Grading in Practice Tool
Feed forward

23. Grading in Practice Tool
The Traffic Light System
Any mark that falls in
The red is unsafe practice so the student will fail the assessment with an overall mark as 0
In the amber column is satisfactory
In the green column indicates good /excellent progress.
Holistic assessment tool to be completed at the end of every midwifery placement of 4 weeks or more.
Different grid for each year of the course.
Marks contribute credits to the student’s degree.
Follows a traffic light system.
Pass mark for FGT is 40%

24. Failing the Grading in Practice – what happens?
Inform the student’s personal tutor/link lecturer immediately.
A tripartite meeting will be set up between the student, sign-off mentor and personal tutor to develop an action plan for remedial action for further placements.
The student will need to repeat and pass the placement in the first trimester of the next year.

25. Working together to assure the quality of the learning environment
HEI’s and Placement Providers work closely together to assure the quality of the student practice learning experience:
Audits
Practice Education Committees (PEC)
Student Evaluations
Moderation of Practice Assessment
External reviews
The universities and the placement providers are in regular communication and are constantly overseeing the capability of every area to continue to be able to offer a quality learning experience for students. Situations with practice areas can be very fluid and it is important that any changes in status are communicated quickly. Established channels of communication include the practice team, link lecturers and Education Champions.
Audits are formally conducted every 21 months but are reviewed every two months, so it is not something that is set in stone.
The university and key people from the organisation meet every two months at the Pec and have a number of standing agenda items. This includes the capacity of the areas to support students and cross matching this with the current numbers of mentors each area has.
Student evaluations are a good source of feedback as to the practice learning experience the student is having and again this provides an opportunity to identify areas of excellence and areas which may be struggling. Student evaluations reviewed and discussed as part of the PEC meetings.
External reviews discussed from CQC, Monitor, QIPF, Professional Body, NHSLA discussed at each PEC

26. Practice Assessment Documents
Are there any questions related to completion of Student Practice Assessment Document?
For example:
Fine Grading
Formative Assessment feedback
Summative Assessment feedback
Action plans
ARU:

27. Please see handouts for group activities
These activities will support your Revalidation and Triennial review reflections

28. Examples of Action plans for achieving and under- achieving students can be found on the mentor portal

29. On line information
To support this presentation please access the links below for the information and guidance included in this presentation

30. THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING AND FOR YOUR
CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS
Please hand in your mentor evaluations to the session facilitator