Grading of Practice

Information for Mentors

January 2014

Grading of practice • Background - Empowering service user perspectives. Limited evidence.

Literature review and learning from other universities.

• Development of the tool

• DH (2012) Vision of Care is embedded in the assessment of practice and

the grading tool. Consultation with service users, mentors, AiPs,

academics and students

• User friendly, avoidance of grade inflation /integrating patient carer

feedback

• Formative and summative stages.

• Evaluation to include pilot study (Sept 11 cohort placement 6 in February

– June 2014), prior to implementation

• Evaluation on implementation

• Moderation and on going evaluation of tool planned

Student progression in practice and grading

criteria from OAR

Year 1:

Pass or Fail with no

grading

Year 2: Final placement -

Pass with formative

grading or Fail with no

grading

Year 3: Final placement -

Pass with summative

grading or

Fail with no grading

Registration

Fail =

No grade &

Award Board

Fail = No grade

& Award Board

Fail =

No grade &

Award Board

Evidence for Grading, the Patient / Carer feedback tool

• Embedded in the UWE Ongoing Achievement Record

• Valuing patients /carers voice over 3 years of programme embedded in

adult curriculum - students value this.

• Qualitative research study UWE/Trust, submitted for publication.

• “I’ll put down and say it as I see it without any strings attached” (Patient 4).

• “Well I didn’t write this because I wanted her to feel better; I actually wrote down what I

thought at the time which was exactly what I thought” (Patient 1).

• “I wouldn’t have said she was excellent if she was poor. ….there would be no point doing

this if it’s not honest…..if the student hadn’t been terribly good, not sympathetic, then I

would have ringed the word ‘poor’ according to my conception of what the student was

doing” (Patient 2).

• Each branch is developing mechanisms to ensure Patient/Carer feedback process is

in place

Grading overview If a student has passed practice a grade will be afforded to each of the four

NMC domains below to produce an average grade overall. The grades are:

C (acceptable) to A+ (exceptional)

1. Professional Values

2. Communication and interpersonal skills

3. Nursing practice and decision making

4. Leadership, management and team working

Use comments from End of final Placement Summary – Yr 3

Mentor overall comments – please provide specific comments in relation to criteria/

competencies and skills for example, communication; professional behaviour

Professional Values

Communication & Interpersonal Skills

Nursing Practice and Decision Making

Leadership, Management & Team working

Print Name: Signature: Date:

CARBONATE IN DUPLICATE White sheet submitted with assessment sheets, student to retain (yellow) copy in booklet

NMC Domain C Acceptable C+ Satisfactory B Good B+ Very good A Excellent A+ Exceptional

GRADE DESCRIPTOR ALLOCATED

MARK

FAIL 0%

C Acceptable 44%

C+ Satisfactory 51%

B Good 59%

B+ Very Good 66%

A Excellent 75%

A+ Exceptional 90%

The mechanism of working out the overall grade

The full range of marks and grades are shown with a worked example.

Worked Example

Professional Values B+ 66%

Communication and interpersonal skills A 75%

Nursing practice and decision making B+ 66%

Leadership, management and team-working B 59%

Overall grade = (66+75+66+59)/4 = 66.5% Therefore the grade would be 67%

What might the spread of students’ grades

look like overall ?

Acceptable Exceptional

What is the mentor role ?

• Ensure Year 2 & 3 students are signed off as green for

all NMC criteria and skills, before you grade

• Give a clear rationale for the Sign Off pass in each

domain area of the OAR final summary

• Check that the grade afforded reflects your comments

• Utilise feedback from the mentoring team & patient /

carer feedback to corroborate your grades and inform

your decision

Mentor proposed preparation

• Expand on information already embedded in

mentor updates to reflect timescales

Information now being developed:

• Introductory podcast

• Grading interview to view

• Mentor Update slides & Placement laminated

materials

• FAQ site on Practice Support Net

Grading of Practice Timelines?

• Where are we now?

• When is your next update?

• When will your first students be graded?

- Adult, July 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16 (final Yr 3)

- Child, March 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16 (final Yr 3)

- Learning Disability, June 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16

(final Yr 3)

- Mental Health, June 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16

(final Yr 3)