Summary of Outcomes of Approval

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Summary of Outcomes of Approval Monitoring
ActivitiesLesley BarrowmanSenior
Professional Officer, NIPEC
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Approval Monitoring of NMC Regulated Prog

• Implementation of new NMC QA Framework (April
  2005)
• Updated policy for monitoring practice placement
  audit to include a section dealing with
  difficulties that arise between audits
• Appointment of 7 NIPEC Expert Education Partners
• Developing new Joint Validation Procedures
• Developing procedures to approve programmes not
  jointly validated

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Approval of NMC Regulated Programmes

• Programmes approved between October 2004 and
  September 2005 were
• Post-Graduate Certificate in Education for
  Nurses, Midwives and Specialist Community Public
  Health Nurses provided by the University of
  Ulster
• BSc(Hons)/Post-Graduate Diploma in Community
  Public Health Nursing provided by the University
  of Ulster
• All programmes currently approved for delivery in
  Northern Ireland can be viewed on the NIPEC
  web-site www.nipec.n-i.nhs.uk

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Monitoring of NMC Regulated Programmes

• NIPEC samples a range of programmes in each
  monitoring year to meet NMC and DHSSPS
  requirements.
• In this monitoring year this involved
• Adult and Learning Disability Nursing Pre-
  Registration and Post-registration
• Pre-registration Midwifery (three year and
  shortened)
• Nurse Prescribing
• Return to Practice (nursing and midwifery)

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Summary of Outcomes of Monitoring NMC Regulated
Programmes

• Findings are generally positive and indicative of
  a good level of satisfaction
• External examiners expressed high levels of
  satisfaction across all programmes
• Practice of skills in simulated settings in
  preparation for the real world of practice
  continues to develop

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Areas for Enhancement Action

• NIPEC variability in the quality of mentor
  support noted across all programmes
• Difficulties in link lecturer support for
  community settings
• Difficulties in securing mentors for specialist
  practice students in highly specialised areas

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Areas for Enhancement Action

• NIPEC strengthening links with Local Supervising
  Authorities for all midwifery programmes
• For the three year midwifery programme, some
  initial difficulties were experienced when
  students were in areas receiving them for the
  first time
• Increasing opportunities for student midwives to
  experience midwifery practice in settings other
  than their host Trusts was also identified

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Practice Learning
A sample of practice placement audits across
nursing and midwifery settings were observed

• Practice learning was generally of a good
  standards
• Occasional difficulties were seen in providing
  consistent mentor support
• A small number of mentors felt that the
  mentorship preparation programme did not prepare
  them adequately for deal with difficulties
• Link lecturer systems continue to develop
• Continued development of audit processes was
  identified as an issue for action

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Partnership working between Service Education
Providers

• Programmes involve 50 practice and 50 theory
  with service and education programme providers
  involved in joint provision
• Partnership working continues to evolve
• Co-ownership by service and education programme
  providers continues to provide challenge
• Difficulties were noted regarding consistent
  service input to curriculum development and
  quality enhancement processes due to work
  pressures

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Conclusion

• Overall the findings are highly positive although
  a number of areas for enhancement have been
  identified Areas for discussion could include
• How to enhance partnership working and promote
  co-ownership?
• How placement audit systems could be improved?
• How to strengthen mentor systems and mentor
  competence?
• How to improve the decision making processes
  around competence at the point of registration?