Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors

Practice assessors will assess and confirm the student’s achievement of practice learning for a placement or a series of placements.

This does not mean that practice assessors must make an assessment of each individual environment or placement. Practice assessors do not need to be physically based or employed in each or any of the environments in which the student is placed. The practice assessor assesses the students overall performance for their practice learning, taking account of whether or not the relevant proficiencies and programmes outcomes have been met, and if they display the required values of their profession. They must have sufficient opportunities to observe the student across environments in order to inform their decisions.

A nominated practice assessor will also work with the nominated academic assessor to make a recommendation for student progression. However not all practice assessors will be required to perform this aspect of the role.[1]

This role is to support and supervise nursing and midwifery students in the practice learning environment. All students must be supervised while learning in practice environments.

Practice supervisors can provide supervision in different ways. These depend on different things – it’s the approved education institution’s (AEI’s) responsibility to decide what supervision is appropriate, with its practice learning partners.

Factors that AEIs and their practice learning partners should take into account when considering the way in which supervision may be delivered include:

public protection
student learning needs – both the level of learning required (student competence) and the student’s programme outcomes
student and practice supervisor equality and diversity needs
the availability of practice supervisors and their skills and knowledge.

Practice supervisors should also be able to judge what kind of supervision and support they are able to provide.[2]

Additional specific advice for supervising prescribing students is available on page 12 of Realising professionalism: Standards for education and training Part 3: Standards for prescribing programmes.[3] Higher Education Institutions should also forward tailored information relating to their own module directly to nominated assessors. For advice on NHSGGC trainees undertaking prescribing modules please look here: NHSGGC NMP Policy

Each of the Higher Education Institutions have their own documentation that students are required to have supervisors read / sign off for different modules. All trainee ANP / ACNS now require to have evidence of supervised practice within their Turas Professional Portfolio, and we have our own guidance document.[4]

Trainees can ‘raise a ticket’, i.e. email you an official request for feedback, either formative or summative, that is sent directly back to, and is stored within their portfolio. This can take a variety of formats which are explained within the advance practice toolkit. [5]

Further support is available from the NES document A National Framework for Practice Supervisors, Practice Assessors and Academic Assessors in Scotland. [6]

There is also a series of learning modules on Turas Learn Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors’ Learning Resource.[7]

[1] What do practice assessors do? – The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)

[2] What do practice supervisors do? – The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)

[3] programme-standards-prescribing.pdf (nmc.org.uk)

[4] the TURAS Professional Portfolio In advanced nursing practice (nhsggc.org.uk)

[5] https://www.advancedpractice.scot.nhs.uk/education/turas-professional-portfolio.aspx

[6]https://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/media/fxdd4d01/scottish_approach_to_student_supervision_and_assessment_interactive.pdf

[7] https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/45749/future-nurse-and-midwife/practice-supervisors-and-practice-assessors-learning-resource