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learning zone
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Page 58 Page 59 Page 60
Mentorship multiple Read Sarah Hallett’s Guidelines on how to
choice questionnaire practice profile on write a practice profile
anticoagulant therapy
A learning resource for developing
effective mentorship in practice
NS607 Anderson L (2011) A learning resource for developing effective mentorship in practice.
Nursing Standard. 25, 51, 48-56. Date of acceptance: June 13 2011.
Summary
This article focuses on mentorship. There is an important
professional expectation of registered nurses and midwives to
mentor pre-registration nursing students in clinical practice.
The article examines ways to evaluate the learning environment
and the student experience, and offers practical suggestions to
improve the quality of mentorship for mentors and students.
Author
Lorna Anderson, lecturer in adult nursing, School of Health, Nursing
and Midwifery, University of West Scotland, Lanarkshire.
Email: lorna.anderson@uws.ac.uk
Keywords
Clinical skills, competencies, mentoring, student assessment
These keywords are based on subject headings from the British
Nursing Index. All articles are subject to external double-blind peer
review and checked for plagiarism using automated software. For
author and research article guidelines visit the Nursing Standard
home page at www.nursing-standard.co.uk. For related articles
visit our online archive and search using the keywords.
Aims and intended learning outcomes
The aim of this article is to provide an overview
of the main principles and processes involved in
mentoring pre-registration nursing students in
the clinical environment. The article is intended
for nurses and midwives who may be planning
to undertake a preparation for mentorship
programme. It may also benefit existing mentors
who wish to update their skills in accordance with
Standards to Support Learning and Assessment
in Practice (SSLAP) as introduced by the Nursing
and Midwifery Council (NMC) in 2006 and
revised in 2008 (NMC 2008a). After reading this
48 august 24 :: vol 25 no 51 :: 2011
article and completing the time out activities you
should be better able to:
4Define and describe the role of mentorship in
clinical practice.
4Discuss how adults learn.
4Assess students in practice.
4Evaluate mentorship in practice.
Introduction
Derived from Greek mythology, the word mentor
means to act as an adviser, role model, counsellor,
tutor and/or teacher (Roberts 1999). A mentor
in the context of this article is an experienced
nurse or midwife who has undertaken an
approved mentorship preparation programme
and is qualified to support and assess students
in the practice setting.
The NMC (2008a) requires nurses and midwives
to undertake a ten-day preparation for mentorship
programme, of which five days are allocated to
protected learning time. Following completion
of the programme the mentor will be registered
on a mentor database alongside existing mentors.
To continue mentoring, registered mentors are
required to attend an annual update. Thereafter,
at triennial review, the NMC (2008a) requires
registered mentors to self-declare that they are fit
to mentor and that they have mentored at least two
students within the previous three years.
Mentors who have final placement students
in their clinical area are required to be ‘sign-off
mentors’. A sign-off mentor is a registered nurse
or midwife in the same branch as the student who
is responsible for confirming to the NMC that
the student has met the relevant standards of
proficiency for registration at the end of a final
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placement (NMC 2008a). Some mentors may
never actually become a sign-off mentor because
they have not had the opportunity to mentor
a final placement student. It is important to note
that all registered midwives are required to be
sign-off mentors (NMC 2008a).
In response to the initial introduction of SSLAP
(NMC 2008a), NHS Education for Scotland
(NES) (2007) produced the National Approach
to Mentor Preparation for Nurses and Midwives,
which further enhances standards of mentorship
as it provides a consistent, structured framework
for mentor preparation in Scotland.
Time out 1
Reflect on a time when you were
effectively mentored as a student
in practice. Make a list of the skills
and qualities you admired in your
mentor. Identify some of the issues that
you think might contribute to poor mentoring.
Gray and Smith (2000) recognised that the impact
of effective (Box 1) and ineffective mentoring
(Box 2) on students may be long lasting, therefore
it is helpful for mentors to know how their
characteristics and behaviour may be perceived
by students in practice.
Understanding how adults learn
Adults learn best when combining theory with
practice in an atmosphere of mutual respect and
trust; however, all students require support and
guidance from their mentor. For example, students
may need to acknowledge shortfalls in practice
and work towards developing and achieving
competencies through an action plan (NES 2007).
Practical learning in the clinical environment is
generally considered by students as a good
investment of time. It is important that mentors
acknowledge students’ developmental needs as well
as their achievements. Adult learning is a complex
field with many different theories. This could be
daunting for mentors; however, they need to have
an understanding of the intellectual, physical and
attitudinal processes involved in adult learning to
support and assess students in practice.
Time out 2
Reflect on a skill that you have
learned as an adult, for example
learning how to drive. Make notes
on what processes you went
through to learn that skill. Reflect on
a clinical skill that you have taught to
a student recently. What processes were
used on this occasion?
NURSING STANDARD
BOX 1
Effective mentoring
Effective mentoring may be demonstrated by the
mentor in the following ways:
4Displaying interest in student learning.
4Treating the student as an individual.
4Recognising the student’s stage of learning.
4Establishing a learning environment.
4Understanding the student’s learning needs.
4Establishing learning goals with the student.
4Including the student in the department team.
4Explaining what is being done and why.
4Demonstrating clinical techniques and skills.
4Helping the student to understand.
4Balancing practice with educational work.
4Applying evidence-based practice.
4Applying competence-based assessment skills.
4Assisting the student to evaluate his or her
learning experience.
Characteristics of an effective mentor may include:
4Availability.
4Consistency.
4Honesty.
4Professionalism.
4Assertiveness.
4Effective communication.
4Resourcefulness.
4Reliability.
(Adapted from Price 2004)
Learning a clinical skill tends to follow a logical
order (Box 3). Vygotsky’s (1986) framework
of guided participation provides a structured
learning environment in which the learner is
initially supported using a ‘scaffolding’
framework. The scaffold describes steps involved
in learning, gives a purpose to the learning and
assures the learner that what is being done is
valuable for future work. This framework is
useful for nurses in clinical practice because it
helps the mentor to plan appropriate learning
activities for the student in accordance with their
stage of learning. For example, the nursing or
midwifery student is briefed that the skill of
taking a history from a patient serves the dual
purpose of understanding the patient’s illness
or problem while demonstrating due concern for
the patient’s wellbeing. Therefore, the student’s
ability shifts from simply practising a skill to
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engaging with the patient, demonstrating not only
practical skills, but also patient-centered care.
Through gradual exposure to learning
opportunities, it is expected that the first and
second-year student will develop from being
completely dependent on the mentor and
other qualified staff to practising more
independently and eventually practising with
BOX 2
Ineffective monitoring
Ineffective mentoring may be demonstrated by the mentor in the
following ways:
4Delegates unwanted duties to the student.
4Noticeably dislikes his or her job and/or the student.
4Lacks knowledge of the pre-registration programme.
4Demonstrates poor teaching skills.
4Lacks expertise.
4Breaks promises.
4Throws the student in at the ‘deep end’.
Characteristics of an ineffective mentor may include:
4Distant and unfriendly.
4Unapproachable.
4Unreliable.
4Intimidating.
4Unpredictable.
4Overprotective.
(Gray and Smith 2000)
BOX 3
Processes involved in learning a clinical skill
4Observation followed by reflection.
4Imitation, copying or role modelling.
4Questioning.
4Practice with direct supervision followed by reflection.
4Practice with minimal supervision followed by reflection.
4Rehearsal.
4Repeated practice.
4Practice with support followed by reflection.
4Practice independently followed by reflection.
(Murray and Main 2005, Brugnolli et al 2011)
50 august 24 :: vol 25 no 51 :: 2011
mentor support and guidance only. The final
stage of mentorship involves the transfer of
responsibility from the mentor to the student when
proficiency and independence is achieved. The
concept of guided participation (Innovate online
2011) may be applied to nurse education. This is a
process through which an experienced practitioner
supports a less experienced practitioner to become
competent in everyday practice (Vygotsky 1986).
Furthermore, for learning to take place, it is
important that the skill being taught is clinically
and professionally meaningful. According to
Benner et al (2009), clinical practice is complex
and varied and the student is required to learn
how to adapt to changing priorities as well as
circumstances such as changes in the patient’s
condition or their response to a treatment. The
practitioner is required to provide care that is both
ethical and evidence based. Therefore, clinical
practice involves the student practising clinical
activities appropriate to their stage of learning as
they work towards proficiency.
Styles of learning
As adult learners, professionals need to develop
a culture of lifelong learning and teaching in the
workplace and need to take responsibility for
their learning (Hinchliff 2004). However, as
mentors it is helpful to appreciate that individuals
have their own style of learning. For example,
Honey and Mumford (2008) identified four
types of learner:
4The activist – an enthusiastic, eager learner.
In clinical practice, this type of learner may
require careful restraint because eagerness
needs to be balanced by caution, particularly
in the clinical setting where mistakes could
have safety and financial implications.
4The pragmatist – motivated by the concept of
change in response to situational and practical
circumstances, with a ‘let’s try it and see if it
works’ approach. In clinical practice, this type
of learner values learning that makes a clear
difference, therefore evaluation of discoveries
is important to the learner.
4The theorist – an analytical and methodical
individual with good reasoning ability. In
clinical practice, it may help to present this
learner with problem-based situations to
resolve. In this way, the learner is maximising
the learning experience.
4The reflector – a thorough thinker who takes
time to consider before reaching a conclusion
or solution to a problem. In clinical practice,
it is important to encourage reflection that
enhances practice. However, there is also
a need to make a timely decision.
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Although a student might not volunteer that he
or she is a theorist or a pragmatist, it is usually
possible to determine his or her preferred
learning style through interacting with the
learner in the clinical setting. The learner may
have more than one learning style. This can be
ascertained by asking certain questions at the
beginning of the placement, about how the
learner likes to learn or what seems stimulating
about learning.
Time out 3
Write a learning plan to meet the
needs of a student in your area of
practice. Consider what you already
know about the individual’s stage of
training, module or placement objective.
How might you incorporate the students
preferred style of learning? Using the four
learning styles identified by Honey and
Mumford (2008) what factors might you
need to consider when planning the learning
the experience?
Assisting learning
Understanding how adults learn helps mentors to
meet individual learning needs and may be useful
when planning the student experience (Hinchliff
1999). The mentor should have a flexible
approach to teaching, recognising the differences
between individuals’ learning styles and needs.
Mentors have an educational responsibility to
encourage and assist learning: however, students
must also take responsibility for their learning
through negotiation, discussion and decision
making. Responsibility for learning is encouraged
at the outset. An agreed learning plan is used to
identify the student’s expectations and is
supported by regular feedback from the mentor
throughout the placement. It is important that the
student understands that non-compliance or lack
of engagement with the learning plan could result
in the student having an unsuccessful placement
assessment (NES 2007).
Learning taxonomies – structured learning
processes built into the educational programme –
may help to assist student learning. Examples of
learning taxonomies that influence nurse
education include Bloom’s theory, which
originated in 1956 and included (Atherton 2011):
4The cognitive domain – where thinking
and understanding take place to
produce knowledge.
4The psychomotor domain – which relates
to learning practical and physical skills,
for example administering an
intramuscular injection.
NURSING STANDARD
4The affective domain – which involves
individual attitudes towards learning,
such as motivation and enthusiasm.
In the workplace, the student has to combine
all three learning domains, with little time to
pause and plan what should be done next.
Students may feel anxious as they try to learn
in this synthesised way (Hinchliff 1999).
While Bloom’s taxonomy (Atherton 2011)
applies actual learning experiences to the
learning domains, Bondy’s (1983) learning
taxonomy uses a criterion reference scale
to relate the learning experience to how
students learn at certain stages of the
programme. Bondy (1983) maintains that,
in the first year, students learn through
observation of others; in the second year
learning occurs as a result of practising under
direct supervision; and in the third year students
learn through supported practice while
working towards becoming an independent
practitioner. It is therefore important to
consider the student’s stage of learning when
planning learning opportunities and teaching
strategies. For example, for a clinical skill to
be observed in the student’s first year, it must
first be demonstrated by the mentor. However,
the student will wish to be involved in the
activity to have a sense of purpose, therefore
the student could perhaps observe the activity
while possibly assisting or supporting the
mentor. For the student in his or her second year,
there would be an expectation for the individual
to practice or perform the clinical skill under
direct mentor supervision. In the third year,
although the mentor continues to be present
in a supportive capacity, the student must act
as an independent practitioner by gradually
performing tasks and skills on his or
her own (Gray and Smith 2000).
Benner’s (1982) theory of learning focuses
on five levels of nursing experience: novice,
advanced beginner, competent, proficient and
expert. This theory was founded on the Dreyfus
(1982) model of developmental learning,
which is rooted in experiential learning and
performance. However, a study of Benner’s
original theory (1982) conducted over 21 years
(Benner 2004) suggests that the learner moves
from relying on theoretical principles to using
past experiences to guide actions. As the learner
progresses from one level to another (as above)
there is a change in the learner’s perception of
situations. According to Benner (1982), learning
results from intuitive practice; nevertheless there
is a transition from being an observing learner
to one who is actively participating. However,
Benner (2004) found that the expert
practitioner becomes a ‘response-based
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performer’ when experiential learning develops
into an understanding of clinical situations and
how to act. For example, the student develops
an understanding of how patients from different
backgrounds express their needs and later
actively searches for these in what patients say,
do or ask of others, such as relatives.
Nevertheless, mentors are required to be cautious
as one cannot assume automatic progression
from being proficient to becoming an expert
within the duration of the pre-registration
programme (Gobet and Chassy 2008).
Effective mentor-student relationships
In the interest of public protection, mentors are
responsible for managing the student learning
experience (NMC 2008b). Mentors are expected
to demonstrate effective leadership skills
while acting as a role model and sustaining
a professional relationship with the student.
Furthermore, the mentor is accountable for
assessing student competency and determining if
the individual has achieved the desired standards
of proficiency (NMC 2004). The mentor is in an
ideal position to foster mutual trust and respect
within the mentor-student relationship by
considering the following factors (NES 2007):
4How students fit in to the learning
environment, including having a sense of
belonging and feeling useful.
4How students adjust to a new learning
environment, including factors such as
cultural differences, management styles and
workload issues.
4How to support students when adjusting
from one learning environment to another.
For example, moving from a community
placement to an acute hospital setting.
4How to use orientation systems, such as issuing
a student welcome pack which could provide
useful information about the placement,
explanation of shift patterns and examples of
possible learning opportunities in the placement.
An introduction to staff and patients will help the
student to feel welcome, and a guided tour of the
placement area will help him or her become
familiar with the surroundings.
Mentors are responsible for the safety and
wellbeing of their patients (NMC 2008b), while
also remaining professionally accountable for
mentoring students in practice. However,
students may have unrealistic expectations of
52 august 24 :: vol 25 no 51 :: 2011
mentors and may not appreciate that they
have other responsibilities and priorities. It is
therefore important that the mentor and student
agree and document learning expectations
at the start of the placement so that a realistic
working balance between clinical practice and
mentoring can be achieved. The mentor also
needs to maintain appropriate student
documentation, providing evidence of effective
mentorship in practice (NMC 2008b).
Documentation is likely to consist of student
assessments, as well as learning and action
plans, which provide evidence of adherence to
higher education institution policies and NMC
(2004) standards of proficiency.
Time out 4
Identify which factors you believe
to be important in establishing
an effective learning environment.
Examine the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOT)
in your learning environment by
undertaking a SWOT analysis, covering
issues such as induction processes, learning
opportunities, educational resources and
mentor support. Based on your analysis,
write down a list of points on how the
learning environment and mentoring
experience could be enhanced.
Creating an environment for learning
Jokelainen et al (2011) found that the creation
of a supportive learning environment depends
on advanced planning of student training,
even though some learning circumstances
may be opportunistic and therefore unplanned.
Furthermore, delegation of a named mentor
and substitute mentor before the student
begins the placement enables shift patterns
to be planned to accommodate the
mentor-student relationship, allowing
allocation of quality time to the student for
guidance and support.
An effective learning environment should
be resourced with experienced clinicians and
mentors who are knowledgeable about the
pre-registration course and thus able to ensure
appropriate learning opportunities for students
(Jokelainen et al 2011). Student orientation
and induction to the placement is valuable in
creating an effective environment for learning
as it helps to familiarise the student with the
placement area. This includes introducing
students to the multidisciplinary team, thus
creating an inclusive culture where students
feel comfortable to engage in teamwork
(McNair et al 2007).
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Time out 5
Reflect on your learning area and
consider where, when and how
students are assessed. Make a list
of suggestions of where, when
and how you think students could be
assessed. Who contributes to the assessment
process? Could anything be done differently?
As you think about this, consider assessment
as having two purposes: to advise students
on their progress; and to recommend new
learning (formative) as well as to judge
performance and report on it (summative).
Assessment is not only an end-of-placement
activity, it should be ongoing.
Assessing students in practice
The assessment process is essential to mentorship.
Assessment may be defined as a means of
measuring and grading student learning (Hinchliff
1999). According to Neary (1997) and Gray
and Smith (2000), most students believe that a
successful assessment outcome depends on having
a good working relationship with the mentor.
However, although it is the mentor’s responsibility
to assess the student, other experienced
practitioners may contribute to the assessment
process, thus ensuring transparency and equity
and limiting bias.
The purpose of this section is to clarify the
meaning of commonly used assessment methods
and explain how they may be applied in clinical
practice. As identified by Hinchcliff (1999),
assessment methods are described as being either
formative or summative. Formative assessment
is a continual means of assessing and monitoring
student progress throughout the learning
experience without the need for awarding a
formal mark or grade. The assessment process
requires feedback to be given to the student on
a regular basis. Formative assessment
acknowledges student achievement, however it
also highlights underdeveloped learning areas,
which provides an opportunity for the student to
improve performance within a given timescale.
In contrast to formative assessment, summative
assessment occurs at the final stage of the
assessment process, usually at the end of certain
phases of the educational programme. A formal
grade or mark is generally awarded at the
summative assessment stage (Hinchliff 1999).
Mentors frequently use formative assessment
in day-to-day practice. However, Hinchliff
(1999) cautions against ‘norm-referenced’
assessment in which the learner is assessed
against another learner who is at the same or
similar stage of learning. Norm-referenced
NURSING STANDARD
assessment is not recommended in clinical
practice as it is biased, allowing only the best
students to succeed. Hinchliff (1999) promotes
criterion-based assessment because it is a fair
and reliable method in which the student is
required to meet certain criteria at particular
stages of a learning programme. All learners are
required to meet the same criteria within a given
timeframe. This enables the mentor to be
objective and avoid bias during the assessment
process. In comparison to norm-referenced
assessment, criterion-based assessment
evaluates learners against an agreed standard of
proficiency, a necessity in nursing and midwifery
to safeguard the public (NMC 2004).
Time out 6
Reflect on your own learning
experience. Write a list of
methods that you think may have
been used to assess your ability in
clinical practice. Consider potential
barriers to the assessment process.
It is the mentor’s responsibility to assess if a
student’s performance meets the NMC (2004)
standards of proficiency. Using a range of
assessment techniques ensures consistency and
reliability in the assessment process and may
include the following methods (NES 2007):
4Direct observation of student performance.
4Working alongside the student.
4Reflective discussion.
4Oral presentation.
4Clinical simulation.
4Reflective writing.
4Self and peer assessment.
4Portfolio of evidence.
4Feedback from mentors and others.
Continuous assessment begins with the learning
plan: both student and mentor are able to focus
on what is to be learned and by what method.
McNair et al (2007) suggested that the mentor
issues a questionnaire to the student before
preparing the learning plan to establish what
the student already knows and to prevent
unnecessary repetition of learning.
As suggested by NES (2007), assessment should
provide regular constructive criticism (feedback)
to the student throughout the placement and
particularly at the interim stage of the placement.
Thus formative assessment enables the student to
rectify any areas of concern in practice before the
final summative assessment takes place. These
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developmental needs should be identified in an
action plan that should be signed, dated and agreed
by the mentor and the student. This is important as
McNair et al (2007) stress that the student needs to
know what he or she is or is not doing correctly. An
action plan should always be put in place for an
underachieving student as soon as a developmental
need is identified. However, to encourage the
student and avoid unnecessary anxiety, it is
important that, once the student has rectified the
shortfall, this is acknowledged (NES 2007).
Mentors should be mindful of potential barriers to
effective assessment, including (NES 2007):
4Strained interpersonal relationships.
4Time and staff restrictions.
4Limited mentor skills.
4Limited knowledge of assessment processes.
4Limited ability for students to accept
constructive criticism.
4Communication issues such as use of technical
language and jargon.
Potential barriers to the assessment process may
be overcome by considering mentor technique,
continuous assessment, timely student feedback
and appropriateness of where and when
assessments and feedback take place.
BOX 4
Support mechanisms for underachieving students
4Involvement of a liaison lecturer from a higher education institution (HEI).
4Involvement of a programme leader from a HEI.
4Involvement of a personal lecturer from HEI.
4Continuous feedback.
4Counselling services.
4Student services.
4Occupational health.
4Reflective accounts.
4Refer to student’s previous assessments, action plans and reflections
to strengthen the assessment of poor performance.
4Encourage students to acknowledge their weaknesses as well as
achievements so that so they are aware of their progress and any
difficulties when the final assessment takes place and a decision is
made regarding competency.
4Limit bias by indicating other practitioners’ opinions.
(NHS Education for Scotland 2007)
54 august 24 :: vol 25 no 51 :: 2011
Furthermore, agreed learning and action plans
will ensure that, where the student has been
struggling or is at risk of failing the clinical
placement, this has been made known to the
student earlier on in the placement and
documented (NES 2007).
The sign-off mentor is accountable for assessing
a student as passing, failing, postponing or
deferring at the end of a final placement
assessment. It important that a range of assessment
techniques, such as those suggested above, are used
to ensure that the mentor makes reliable and safe
judgements about the student’s safety to practise
independently (NMC 2008a).
Time out 7
What do you consider to be
helpful and unhelpful feedback?
How might negative feedback
or feedback delivered in the wrong
way affect a student? What strategies
could you employ to avoid this?
Feedback
Feedback on a student’s performance in practice is
part of the learning experience. Therefore, in line
with adult learning theory, knowing if learning is
appropriate for the student’s stage of learning will
help to determine what corrective action, if any,
is required to further develop and improve
performance. Hinchliff (1999) suggested that
helpful feedback should consider the following:
4Use a recognised model of assessment feedback
such as a ‘praise sandwich’ (praise followed by
constructive criticism followed by praise).
4Guidance and support to achieve proficiency
outcome.
4Working towards professional development,
for example encouraging the student to apply
evidence-based practice.
4Encourage student self-reflection.
4Verbal feedback should be clear and easily
understood.
4Written feedback should be clear and
unambiguous.
4Feedback should begin early in the placement
and continue on a regular basis to allow
opportunity for student improvement
where necessary.
4End on a positive note.
4The mentor is accountable for recording
assessment decisions and should be familiar with
assessment documentation (NMC 2008a).
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Time out 8 FIGURE 1

Managing an underachieving
student can be stressful and
demanding. Write down suggestions
on how to minimise the emotional
effect on you. Identify any support
mechanisms in place for students and mentors.
Evaluation of mentorship questionnaire
Mentorship evaluation questionnaire
Please circle one response below
How useful would you rate your mentor’s skills?
Little use 1 2 3 4 5 Very useful
How useful were your mentor’s demonstrations of clinical skills?

Underachievement Little use 1 2 3 4 5 Very useful

Were the demonstrations:
A study by Duffy (2003) found that mentors fail to
fail students in practice because they tend to give the Too long Too short About right
‘benefit of the doubt’. This is because mentors do Were you given the opportunity to practise the skill?
not want to fail the student based on their sole
assessment of the student’s ability. Staff or previous Yes No
mentors may have raised informal concerns among Did you have enough time to practise the skill?
themselves about a student’s ability; however, these Yes No
concerns were never formally addressed or
documented. Therefore, without evidence from Were you able to link the classroom theory to the skill?
previous mentors, the mentor feels safer to give the Yes No
student ‘the benefit of the doubt’ resulting in
Did you discuss reflectively the demonstration or practice with your mentor?
passing the student’s placement when perhaps the
student should have failed. Yes No
The study also identified that mentors have to Following demonstration and practice did you feel more capable of
make complex assessment decisions about students practising on patients?
at risk of underachieving, for example those who
Yes No
demonstrate unsafe practice or unprofessional
behaviour. These underachieving students require How well were the teaching and learning activities organised by your mentor?
appropriate support in a professional and Poorly 1 2 3 4 5 Very well
confidential environment (Box 4). In addition,
Was your mentor:
evidence of underachievement should be carefully
documented by maintaining written records of Approachable? Yes No
telephone calls, dates of meetings, action plans and Easy to understand? Yes No
assessment documentation.
It is also important that the mentor is supported, Knowledgeable? Yes No
particularly during difficult decisions (Duffy Confident? Yes No
2004). Mentors are encouraged to obtain support Was the learning environment satisfactory?
from practice educator facilitators, clinical
managers and through clinical supervision. Yes No
Please add any further comments or suggestions here:

Time out 9
Consider the evaluation of the Thank you for completing this questionnaire.
effectiveness of mentorship in (McNair et al 2007)

practice, taking into account the

following areas:
4Setting up and sustaining a
learning environment.
4Process of mentoring such as preparing
a learning plan with the student and creating
learning opportunities.
4Understanding the student’s needs and
stage of learning.
4Enabling and seizing learning opportunities.
4Formative assessment and feedback.
4Summative assessment and feedback.
Evaluating the effectiveness of mentorship
Evaluation of the effectiveness of learning in
practice, and hence mentorship, involves analysing
methods, systems and processes. This is important
as effective mentorship enhances the learning
experience for the student (Hinchliff 1999).
Evaluation may be performed by the mentor,
peers, educators and the student. Including an
evaluation form in the student’s welcome pack
may be useful (McNair et al 2007) (Figure 1).
Evaluation can be a valuable tool in self and peer

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acknowledged at the outset. Forward planning by

learning zone professional development the mentor is essential in establishing an effective
mentor-student relationship. Mentors are
encouraged to recognise that individuals have their
development leading to quality improvements own learning styles that may be further enhanced
and an opportunity to share best practice. with mentor guidance and support while the
student actively participates in practice. This
Time out 10 enables learning to progress in a structured
incremental framework in response to increasing
Using the example in Figure 1, student competence, which is continuously
design a short evaluation assessed and supported with regular feedback.
questionnaire to assess the It is also important to evaluate the effectiveness
effectiveness of your practice. of mentorship as a means of improving the quality
Identify any areas where you could of the student’s learning experience NS
improve your skills as a mentor.
Time out 11
Conclusion
Now that you have completed the
Effective mentorship is essential to ensure that
article, you might like to write a
students become competent practitioners. An
practice profile. Guidelines to help
understanding of the individual student’s learning
you are on page 60.
style and needs are important and should be

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