1. Standards for student supervision and assessment: Role of the assessors
Sue West
Senior Nursing Education Adviser
Rachel Mawby,
Senior Policy Officer (Education)
7 February 2019

2. Communications and engagement
Education programme
Standards for education
Future Nurse standards/ Proficiencies
Nursing associates standards/ proficiencies
Standards for Prescribing
Future midwife standards/
proficiencies
Return to practice
This diagram provides you with a view of our education programme.
The first line shows the standards that have been completed, approved by Council and published ready for implementation
The second line indicates those that are still in development with the consultation for the midwifery standards and proficiencies due to be launched on the 12th February 2019; and the return to practice standards are just being finalised to be submitted to Council for approval following the consultation last autumn.
Along all of this work lies the quality assurance framework that enables approval of programmes and ongoing monitoring
Quality assurance framework
Communications and engagement

3. Standards for education and training
Moving to the standards for education and training.
This visual shows the structure of our new suite of standards. In May 2019 we published our new suite of Standards for education and training which are in three parts:
Upper left: Part 1 Standards framework for nursing and midwifery education (for all NMC approved programmes)
Lower down: Part 2 Standards for student supervision and support (the new approach to learning and assessment which replaces mentorship)
Middle: Part 3 Programme standards with detail relevant to each of our approved programmes: entry requirements, length, hours and the award etc. (so far we have published Standards for pre registration nursing programmes; Standards for nursing associate programmes and Standards for prescribing programmes. We will be building on this library of standards with a publication for each approved programme)
On the right: Sit the proficiencies for nursing and midwifery professions (including nursing associates). As with the programme standards, so far we’ve published the nursing proficiencies, and we’ll adopt the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Competency Framework for prescribing.

4. Standards for student supervision and assessment
Three headings
Effective practice learning
Supervision of students
Assessment of students and confirmation of proficiency
The standards for student supervision and assessment are provided under three heading as indicated here and the following slides will focus in more detail on these.

5. Practice supervision
In practice, students are supervised by an NMC registered nurse or midwife, or other registered health and social care professionals
Practice supervision ensures safe and effective learning experiences
There is sufficient coordination and continuity of support and supervision of students
Nursing and midwifery students must be supervised while learning in practice. The supervisor can be any registered health and social care professional working in a practice environment. For example in a social care environment a registered social worker could be the supervisor to a student if they are deemed to have the right qualifications and experience for the learning experiences/outcomes the student needs to achieve. We’ve published supporting information that has more examples in it (
Practice supervision ensures safe and effective learning experiences that uphold public protection and safety of people
There is sufficient coordination and continuity of support and supervision of students to ensure safe and effective learning experiences and facilitate independent learning, including the support and development of the practice supervisors.

6. Assessor roles All students are assigned to:
a practice assessor for a practice placement or a series of practice placements
an academic assessor for each part of the education programme
The assessors are:
registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates with appropriate equivalent experience for the student’s area of practice

7. Practice assessors
Conduct assessments to confirm that the student has achieved the proficiencies and outcomes
assessment decisions are informed by feedback from practice supervisors
Work in partnership with the academic assessor regarding student progression
periodically observe the student across environments to inform decisions
have an understanding of student’s learning and achievement in theory
The practice assessor will:
Conduct assessments to confirm that the student has achieved the proficiencies and outcomes for practice learning
Make and record objective evidence-based assessments on conduct, proficiency and achievement, drawing on student records, direct observations, student self-reflection, and other resources.
Work in partnership with the nominated academic assessor to evaluate and recommend the student for progression for each part of the programme, in line with the programme standards and local and national policies.

8. Academic assessors
Collate and confirm student achievement of proficiencies and programme outcomes in the academic environment for each part of the programme
Work in partnership with the practice assessor regarding student progression
Communication and collaboration is scheduled for relevant points in the programme
The academic assessor will:
Collate and confirm student achievement of proficiencies and programme outcomes in the academic environment for each part of the programme
Work in partnership with the nominated practice assessor to evaluate and recommend the student for progression for each part of the programme in line with the programme standards and local national policies

9. Student Practice assessor Academic assessor
This diagram shows the three parts of the Standards for education and training.
The diagram on the right highlights the assessor roles that will need to be in place to support the summative assessment of the student and agree progression
Please note that each of these roles including the supervisor is held by a different person so a person can not simultaneously be the supervisor and assessor or both practice and academic assessor for the same student.

10. Supporting information for supervision and assessment
Split into five sections
Practice supervision
Practice assessment
Academic assessment
Learning environments and experiences
Student empowerment
We’re producing ‘supporting information’ for the new Standards for student supervision and assessment. This will be a guide for ways in which you may want to implement our standards
We’re publishing the supporting information in a phased way, with the first two phases on supervision and assessment now complete. Learning environments and student empowerment are to be published soon
The AEI, with its practice learning partners, is responsible for identifying which professionals may be suitable practice supervisors for the students in a practice learning environment. When identifying practice supervisors the AEI and its practice learning partners will need to take into account public protection, the relevant standards, student learning needs, and programme outcomes. The same applies to the assessor roles.
Our supporting information also provides more detail on what preparation is required for the roles and the ongoing support and time necessary for them to develop and perform their role.

11. Considerations
Need for effective partnerships between AEIs and practice learning partners
Introduction of new roles
What supervision and assessment model will work in practice learning environments
Who will be supervisors and assessors
How will they be prepared for their role
Impact of the new standards on all registrants
Awareness of the new roles for supervision and assessment
Awareness and review of the standards of proficiency in keeping with your/their scope of practice
Planning your/their CPD accordingly in preparation for revalidation
Remember that this awareness applies also to prescribers who will need to work to the RPS competency framework and consider any CPD activity in line with their scope of practice.
Aditionally AEIs need to explore and agree on their transition plans to introduce the new roles for all programmes approved by the NMC in line with the new QA framework.

12. Thank you What questions do you have?
Thank you What questions do you have?
Please send through to: