Educating The Educators - Nursing And Midwifery Council, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 03 Oct 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has released details of a process to enable newly qualified practice teachers to consolidate their training and develop the skills required to sign-off proficiency for specialist community public health nursing students at the end of a programme.

From September 2007, all registrants wishing to prepare for mentor and practice teacher roles must undertake an NMC approved programme and to achieve sign-off status must meet additional criteria outlined in the Standards to support learning and assessment in practice (2006).

This includes being supervised on at least three occasions when signing off students at the end of a final placement. This supervision must be carried out by an existing sign-off mentor or practice teacher.

However, the nature of placements for specialist community public health nursing students presents difficulties for trainee practice teachers in that there are limited opportunities for them to undertake supervised sign-off for students during the period of the preparation programme, which is normally six months.

To overcome this, a new framework of preceptorship has been introduced, to enable student practice teachers to consolidate their training. This will mean that following successful completion of a practice teacher programme, new practice teachers will undertake a period of preceptorship supported by an existing sign-off practice teacher who will decide when they are competent to be able to sign off proficiency at the end of a programme.

Commenting on the development, NMC Education Professional Advisor Jan Goldsmith said,

"This new framework will encourage continuing professional development amongst registrants and make practice teacher preparation more achievable. It will also strengthen accountability and ensure best practise is being followed."

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is protection of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 682,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

http://www.nmc-uk.org