Summary of Outcomes of Approval & Monitoring

Activities

Lesley BarrowmanSenior Professional Officer,

NIPEC

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

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

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)

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

Areas for Enhancement & Action

NIPEC variability in the quality of mentor variability in the quality of mentor support noted across all programmessupport noted across all programmes

Difficulties in link lecturer support for Difficulties in link lecturer support for community settingscommunity settings

Difficulties in securing mentors for Difficulties in securing mentors for specialist practice students in highly specialist practice students in highly specialised areasspecialised areas

Areas for Enhancement & Action

NIPEC strengthening links with Local strengthening links with Local Supervising Authorities for all midwifery Supervising Authorities for all midwifery programmesprogrammes

For the three year midwifery For the three year midwifery programme, some initial difficulties were programme, some initial difficulties were experienced when students were in experienced when students were in areas receiving them for the first timeareas receiving them for the first time

Increasing opportunities for student Increasing opportunities for student midwives to experience midwifery midwives to experience midwifery practice in settings other than their host practice in settings other than their host Trusts was also identified Trusts was also identified

Practice Learning

Practice learning was generally of a good ractice learning was generally of a good standardsstandards

Occasional difficulties were seen in Occasional difficulties were seen in providing consistent mentor supportproviding consistent mentor support

A small number of mentors felt that the A small number of mentors felt that the mentorship preparation programme did not mentorship preparation programme did not prepare them adequately for deal with prepare them adequately for deal with difficulties difficulties

Link lecturer systems continue to developLink lecturer systems continue to develop Continued development of audit processes Continued development of audit processes

was identified as an issue for actionwas identified as an issue for action

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

Partnership working between Service & Education Providers

Programmes involve 50% practice and 50% Programmes involve 50% practice and 50% theory with service and education theory with service and education programme providers involved in joint programme providers involved in joint provisionprovision

Partnership working continues to evolvePartnership working continues to evolve

Co-ownership by service and education Co-ownership by service and education programme providers continues to provide programme providers continues to provide challengechallenge

Difficulties were noted regarding consistent Difficulties were noted regarding consistent service input to curriculum development and service input to curriculum development and quality enhancement processes due to work quality enhancement processes due to work pressurespressures

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?