Download Page 17: fitness for practice

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Fitness for practice
2015
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Facilitating learning in practice
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/facilitatinglearning-practice/content-section-overview
Fitness for practice
The purpose of the standards to support learning and assessment in practice is to assure
the Council that those who make judgements of students have been appropriately prepared
to assess performance in practice against the relevant NMC standards. Overall achievement
of relevant standards of proficiency leads to registration or a qualification that is recorded on
the register.
Throughout an NMC approved programme, mentors/practice teachers (who are on the local
register) will assess competence in practice and confirm that students are capable of safe
and effective practice. Specific competencies for entry to the register or recording a
qualification are clearly identified within each of the Standards of proficiency for nursing,
midwifery or specialist community public health nursing (NMC 2004) and Standards for
specialist education and practice (UKCC 1994).
The NMC requires confirmation at the end of such programmes that both practice and theory
parts of the programme have been successfully achieved. In practice settings a sign-off
mentor or practice teacher will consider the practice evidence to make a judgement that all
competencies have been met and that the student is considered proficient. They will then
sign off the practice part of the programme.
Sign-off mentors and practice teachers who sign off students as being proficient in practice
are confirming to the programme provider that the student has met the defined NMC
standards of proficiency and is capable of safe and effective practice. In addition, teachers of
nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses who sign off successful
completion of the approved programme for registration, or for recording a qualification, are
confirming that all of the NMC programme requirements have been met.
Mentors, practice teachers and teachers who sign off all, or part of the practice component
of a programme leading to registration are accountable to the Council for their decisions.
Confirmation by the mentor or practice teacher that the student is capable of safe and
effective practice will be considered by the assessment board along with other assessed
outcomes to determine whether the student has met all requirements for successful
programme completion.
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