Moving Mentorship Forwards JP Nolan Head of Nursing Practice November 2015

Overview of mentorship currently  The mentorship framework, as outlined in NMC SLAiP (2008) document shapes and, sometimes, constrains practice learning innovations  Despite the above, excellent mentorship is the norm in the UK  Placement learning identified by students as most important part of their training and mentors as being pivotal in their placement experience  But there are challenges in terms of sustainability of current mentorship model  And challenges in terms of consistency and quality of mentorship  Many mentors feel unsupported in their role and their work neither valued, nor rewarded

The Welsh position  Strong all Wales approach  Lowest attrition rates in the UK  But there have been recent issues

Where do we want to be?  Mentorship is a positive experience for all mentors and their role is part of a clearly defined career pathway  All placements are a positive and effective experience for all students

RCN toolkits

Francis report The NMC should change the current SLAiP standards following a review carried out by the RCN. While an English report, because of the NMCs remit it has wider impact

RCN Mentorship review  RCN mentorship report now completed  Report was based on:  Literature review of possible alternative mentorship models, not just the one to one model, but also team mentorship  Evidence collected from workshops held in English regions and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland  Responses to RCN call for evidence from members  Responses from RCN Education Forum members

Main themes The importance of good mentorship Investment in mentorship and mentors Relationships to enable and support mentorship The context within which mentorship occurs Different approaches to mentorship

The Importance of good mentors Prepare students with a strong professional ethos Provide a useful capacity for building emotional resilience Limit attrition Ensure learning keeps pace with contexts and learner styles Accounts for and caters to the diversity of our students

Investment in mentorship Has previously been undervalued and/or under resourced Should everyone be a mentor? Is it a “secondary duty” of all registrants? How much time does it take to prepare high performing mentors, and keep them up to date? What facilities do mentors require within HEIs and provider organisations?

Relationships to enable support Employer, HEI, provider and peer support are all required There are barriers to effective mentorship if one element is absent This means that the mentor is at the centre of a matrix of parties connected to practice based learning

A&E hospital targets missed again in Wales as winter looms Northern Ireland has only 'half' the required number of A&E consultants Belfast A&E staff pressures 'unsustainable' says report Walk-in centre closures 'may worsen A&E crisis' A&E departments understaffed by nearly 10%, BBC survey suggests

The context of mentorship Where does mentorship take place, at what time, and how is this planned Are there protected and safe spaces for reflection in practice as opposed to reflection on practice Is the climate and tempo within the NHS and other practice placement settings affecting this

New approaches SLAiP is seen as limiting innovation in practice based learning New approaches include team, technology supported, third party, peer and multi professional options There is also a need to align to the new code and prepare graduates for a revalidating profession

Recommendations from mentorship report include:  Summit to be held in March 2016 between strategic stakeholders to decide a way forward for mentorship, including representation from:  NMC  Commissioning bodies  Patients/ service users  Practice placement providers  RCN and other professional bodies  Universities  Students

Continued…  New models of mentorship to be explored and evaluated, good for students and fit to deliver the future workforce  Review of NMC SLAiP (2008) framework  Valuing mentorship  Lobbying for protected time for mentors  Developing career frameworks for practice-based educators

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