Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Practice Teacher arrangements for Specialist Community Public Health Nursing students (Part 3 NMC Register).
The Practice Teacher (PT)
A Nursing and Midwifery Council practice teacher is a registered school nurse or health visitor on Part 3 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Register.” The practice teacher will normally have previously fulfilled the NMC requirements to become a sign off mentor, and received further preparation to achieve the knowledge, skills and competence required to meet the NMC defined outcomes for a practice teacher” (NMC 2006p19).
Graduates who hold a Community Practice Teacher (CPT) award or who have successfully completed a two year Community Practice Teacher programme, hold teaching and assessment skills beyond those required for meeting the advisory standards for mentorship (UKCC 2000) and may apply to be identified on the local register as a practice teacher and utilise the practice teacher module as a means of refreshing and updating skill acquisition.
NMC Practice teachers are responsible and accountable for:
· Organising and co-ordinating learning activities, primarily in practice learning environments for pre-registration students and those intending to register as specialist community public health nurses;
· Supervising students and providing them with constructive feedback on their achievements;
· Setting and monitoring achievement of realistic learning outcomes in practice;
· Assessing total performance – including skills, attitudes and behaviours;
· Providing evidence as required by programme providers of the student’s achievement or lack of achievement;
· Liaising with others (e.g. student practice teachers, newly qualified practice teachers, mentors, sign-off mentors, academic tutors, programme leader, other professionals) to provide feedback and identify any concerns about the student’s performance and agree action as appropriate;
· Signing off achievement of proficiency at the end of the final period of practice learning or a period of consolidated practice (NMC 2006).
The Role of the Designated Prescribing Mentor (DPM)
Additionally a student may be required to be taught and facilitated by a Designated Prescribing Mentor (DPM) in order to assess competence in Prescribing. This will only be necessary if the practice teacher is not a Nurse or Non Medical Prescriber i.e. has completed an approved NMC Mode 1/2 or V100 or V300 Prescribing Programme.
The Role of the Student Practice Teacher
The provision of training for experienced SCPHN practitioners to become Practice Teachers is an essential to underpin the robustness of SCPHN programmes. The NMC (2006) reinforce the recommendation that there should be 1 practice teacher to 1 SCPHN student. It is anticipated that there is not enough practice teachers within Trusts who hold a Specialist Community Public Health Nursing qualification on Part 3 of the NMC register will act as mentors for health visitors and school nurses. The Faculty of Health and Social Care therefore provide a 15 credit module at level M and level 3. This module is delivered over a period of 6 months to adhere to NMC guidelines
Preceptorship programme
During the period of completion of the module and for a prescribed period afterwards, the student PT will be supported by a recognized practice teacher on the same part of the register. The student PT should be included within the preceptorship programme within the Trust led by a nominated experienced PT or Practice Educator.
The student PT will act as a clinical facilitator and will be responsible for student supervision and teaching, under the guidance of a recognized practice teacher. It is anticipated that the practice teacher and student PT will work closely together in planning and executing the student’s programme. It is expected that the student PT will meet formally with the identified practice teacher at least once every four weeks in each semester to discuss progress of the student.
The practice teacher and student PT will plan the teaching programme for the student; manage the learning environment; provide appropriate experience; contribute to the integration of theory and practice and the development of a positive learning environment. The practice teacher will assess and determine the student’s proficiency to practice.
Each student, practice teacher and student PT will be provided with a programme handbook and a proficiency based portfolio incorporating guidelines for practice and assessment.
Responsibilities
1. Practice Teacher Forum Meetings
Three forum meetings occur each year when discussion occurs around SCPHN and PT issues, and general updating. Practice teachers recommend relevant subjects to discuss at the meetings and notes will be kept of each meeting along side opportunities for research to be presented. The registers and summary of the meetings are kept and distributed to local Trust as an aid to their local registration processes
2. Practice Teacher/ Student SCPHN
The Practice Teacher/ Student SCPHN and pathway leader meet in semesters 1 andPractice Teacher role SCPHN 2 to consider the progress of individual students and the reactions of the student group as a whole. Further Practice Teacher/lecturer/student meetings can be held if required. Contact will also be made by email and telephone when necessary and additional visits to practice made if required. The outcome of assessment must be demonstrated by the practice teacher in the proficiency based portfolio and must be available for consultation and subsequent planning.
Where a student is failing to achieve a satisfactory standard, the practice teacher and mentor (if appropriate), student and academic tutor will meet together; the problem will be discussed and extra learning contracts drawn up to guide the student towards the required standard.
3. The Programme Management Committee
This committee meets twice a year to fine tune the programme structure and provide an updating mechanism for service and academic areas. The membership includes Senior School Nurse and Health Visitor representatives from the employer sponsoring/ seconding Trusts for specialist community public health nurse students, practice teacher representatives, student representatives and academic programme team. In this context the progress of the programme is reported and future plans discussed.
4. Induction programme for identified Practice Teachers and Student Practice Teachers
In preparation for the start of the new programme all practice teachers and mentors identified by the University and employer Trusts to act in this capacity with specialist community public health nurse (SCPHN) students are invited to attend a half day induction programme before supporting learning and assessment of their school nurse or health visitor student on the SCPHN programme. This preparation is considered essential. Each will have a comprehensive student handbook with guidance on the new programmes. The induction programme will encourage practice teachers and mentors to develop peer support mechanisms as well as influence best practice.
The emphasis is on:
· Philosophy and academic rationale of the programme
· Aims and outcomes
· Structure, content and assessment strategies and integration of specialist practice learning
· Programme Plan
· Time commitment guidelines
· Portfolio
· Assessing practice competencies
· Verification report
· Audit and quality assurance in SCPHN.
5. Work Based Practice Audit
Each academic year the practice teacher is required to undertake an education audit of their practice and learning environment and make this available to the University. This information provides a yearly updating system for the Placement Unit within the Faculty
6. Teaching
· Practice Teachers will contribute to and teach at university to maintain their competencies and NMC registration.
· Practice Teachers will often contribute to teaching and training across the workforce, as well as involvement with keeping education needs foremost in planning and service development and delivery. They should also feed back practice development fromnational and regional perspectives to their teams and PCTs
7. Practice and Professional Standards for Practice Teachers: UZUSBT-15-3/ UZUSBU-15- M
This module has been specifically designed for students seeking to gain Practice Teacher status or Practice Teachers updating their previous qualifications through the 3 year cycle. It builds on learning achieved through undertaking the module: ‘Learning and assessing in practice’. The module is based upon independent study and record keeping and plays a central role in helping students to synthesise learning and professional development and to relate their practice to professional standards. Your learning will be further enhanced through 3 workshops which will enable you to explore key aspects of the role of a Practice Teacher. You will collect evidence and maintain a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate that you have met the Nursing Midwifery Council Standards for Practice Teachers (2006). You will be allocated a supervisor who will discuss and `sign off’ evidence as standards are achieved. The NMC stipulate that a practitioner has a period of 6 months to collect and complete the standards. The module is assessed through the achievement of competencies for Practice Teachers (NMC 2006) along with 2000 words which ‘Critically examine the NMC Standards you have been asked to achieve and evaluate how they have assisted you in your development as a Practice Teacher’. The module is delivered through three workshops and four, one hour tutorials
Glenys Hook
August 2010
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