CNM Fitness to Practise Policy

Introduction

The CNM’s Fitness to Practise Policy is designed to ensure that:

Teaching staff are aware of their responsibility in delivering a high level of education to students. This is defined in terms of excellence in both teaching and course content, with the aim of ensuring only highly competent, safe professionals are graduated with licence to practice.
Students are aware of their responsibilities in relation to their academic abilities, client handling skills, and self‐awareness, in order to reach a level of competence that can be transferred into being safe practising professionals

The CNM demonstrates student fitness to practise through a process of ongoing assessments throughout the course. This includes assessment in a wide range of academic abilities, client management/care and professionalism and self -management. CNM takes seriously its responsibility in ensuring only students who are competent and safe to practise will be graduated as qualified practitioners. The full process of assessment is defined within the Unit Guides and QA Section D Teaching, Learning & Assessment Policy.

1.Requirements

To practise safely, CNM lecturers, clinical supervisors and students working in supervised clinical practice, must be competent in what they do. They must be able to establish and maintain effective relationships with clients, respect clients’ autonomy and act responsibly and appropriately at all times. This includes the following:

1. Good clinical care – CNM lecturers, clinical supervisors and students working in supervised clinical practice are expected to provide good standards of clinical care, practise within the limits of their competence, and ensure that clients are not put at unnecessary risk.

2. Maintaining good practice – CNM lecturers, clinical supervisors and all students have a responsibility to keep up‐to‐date with developments in their field, maintain their skills and audit their performance.

3. Relationships with clients– CNM lecturers, clinical supervisors and students working in supervised clinical practice are expected to develop and maintain successful relationships with their clients, by respecting clients’ autonomy and other rights.

4. Working with colleagues – CNM lecturers, clinical supervisors and students are expected to work effectively with their colleagues.

5. Teaching and training – CNM lecturers and clinical supervisors have teaching skills which need to be kept up‐to‐date and relevant. These individuals are therefore responsible for the continuing development of their skills, attitude, practices and competence (see QA

Section K Staff Development).

6. Probity – CNM lecturers, clinical supervisors and students must be honest and trustworthy at all times.

7. Health – CNM lecturers, clinical supervisors and students must not allow their own health condition to endanger/negatively influence clients.

2.Newly Qualified Practitioners Minimum Competencies

Newly qualified practitioners are expected to maintain and increase their competency over time through continuing professional development. It is expected that the practitioner will progress through competence to mastery in a life‐long process of professional development.Competences for a practitioner are defined according to following criteria which are expanded below:

1. Professional values

2. Knowledge

3. Specific skills

4. Behaviour

3.Professional Values

A practitioner is distinguished by a broad ethical understanding which is manifested inpractice and therefore should demonstrate the following characteristics:

The integrity of the practitioner is manifested in high standards of personal conduct, supported by compliance with the relevant Codes of Conduct & Ethics.
The humanity of the practitioner is manifested in his/her ability to see each client as a unique individual, of equal importance to the practitioner.
The caring and compassionate practitioner will possess empathy with clients, and will not pass judgement on their lifestyle choices.
The practitioner will establish a relationship of trust with clients, by outlining clearly the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship.
The practitioner must take responsibility for professional conduct and the quality of his/her practice through systematic self, peer and client evaluation.
The practitioner must demonstrate respect for the client’s autonomy and right of choice over treatments and lifestyle decisions.
The practitioner must be able to demonstrate confidentiality both verbally and in the methods records are maintained and secured.
The practitioner will manage his/her professional development through a systematic self‐assessment of learning needs, supported by a structured path of professional self-development.

4.Knowledge

A practitioner should have sufficient knowledge and understanding for clinical practice based on the criteria dictated by the relevant regulatory and accrediting/validating bodies.

5.Specific Skills

The practitioner will demonstrate the following skills in the ways in which s/he works.

The practitioner will be able to assess and document a case history according to the system of medicine in which s/he is working.
The practitioner will have an appropriate repertoire of diagnostic tools, sufficient for a wide range of clinical conditions.
The practitioner will be able to modify communications for different audiences, recognising that some will not be familiar with the specific tradition of their practice.
The practitioner will identify, document and apply a treatment strategy appropriate to the client’s condition(s).
The dispensary and pharmacy will be maintained in accordance with professional association requirements and all statutory requirements and guidelines.
The practitioner will offer guidance on lifestyle factors/changes appropriate to the client’s condition.
The practitioner will be able to evidence compliance with all appropriate professional requirements and future statutory requirements as they occur.
The practitioner will be aware of his/her limits of competence, and will be able to refer on appropriately.

6.Behaviour

In addition to the knowledge and skills embodied and embedded in everyday clinical practice, the practitioner will be expected to display a range of behaviours appropriate for a rounded professional, as detailed below:

S/he will act in accordance with the ethics of professional practice, as an autonomous independent practitioner.
The practitioner will develop awareness of personal prejudices and opinions which might impact on the therapeutic relationship.
The practitioner will be aware of the potential for adverse events and be able to respond appropriately.
The practitioner will be aware of the implications of the Code of Ethics and Practice to her/his own practice situation.
The practitioner will be engaged in reflective personal and professional development in order to contrive to develop as a practitioner.
The practitioner will keep up to date with significant research issues.

7.Review & Evaluation

This Fitness to Practise Policy will be reviewed at least annually as part of the annual evaluation process detailed in the QA.

I …………………………………...... agree to comply with the CNM Fitness to Practise Policy.

Date

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