Grading of Practice
Information for Mentors
January 2014
Grading of practice • Background - Empowering service user perspectives. Limited evidence.
Literature review and learning from other universities.
• Development of the tool
• DH (2012) Vision of Care is embedded in the assessment of practice and
the grading tool. Consultation with service users, mentors, AiPs,
academics and students
• User friendly, avoidance of grade inflation /integrating patient carer
feedback
• Formative and summative stages.
• Evaluation to include pilot study (Sept 11 cohort placement 6 in February
– June 2014), prior to implementation
• Evaluation on implementation
• Moderation and on going evaluation of tool planned
Student progression in practice and grading
criteria from OAR
Year 1:
Pass or Fail with no
grading
Year 2: Final placement -
Pass with formative
grading or Fail with no
grading
Year 3: Final placement -
Pass with summative
grading or
Fail with no grading
Registration
Fail =
No grade &
Award Board
Fail = No grade
& Award Board
Fail =
No grade &
Award Board
Evidence for Grading, the Patient / Carer feedback tool
• Embedded in the UWE Ongoing Achievement Record
• Valuing patients /carers voice over 3 years of programme embedded in
adult curriculum - students value this.
• Qualitative research study UWE/Trust, submitted for publication.
• “I’ll put down and say it as I see it without any strings attached” (Patient 4).
• “Well I didn’t write this because I wanted her to feel better; I actually wrote down what I
thought at the time which was exactly what I thought” (Patient 1).
• “I wouldn’t have said she was excellent if she was poor. ….there would be no point doing
this if it’s not honest…..if the student hadn’t been terribly good, not sympathetic, then I
would have ringed the word ‘poor’ according to my conception of what the student was
doing” (Patient 2).
• Each branch is developing mechanisms to ensure Patient/Carer feedback process is
in place
Grading overview If a student has passed practice a grade will be afforded to each of the four
NMC domains below to produce an average grade overall. The grades are:
C (acceptable) to A+ (exceptional)
1. Professional Values
2. Communication and interpersonal skills
3. Nursing practice and decision making
4. Leadership, management and team working
Use comments from End of final Placement Summary – Yr 3
Mentor overall comments – please provide specific comments in relation to criteria/
competencies and skills for example, communication; professional behaviour
Professional Values
Communication & Interpersonal Skills
Nursing Practice and Decision Making
Leadership, Management & Team working
Print Name: Signature: Date:
CARBONATE IN DUPLICATE White sheet submitted with assessment sheets, student to retain (yellow) copy in booklet
NMC Domain C Acceptable C+ Satisfactory B Good B+ Very good A Excellent A+ Exceptional
GRADE DESCRIPTOR ALLOCATED
MARK
FAIL 0%
C Acceptable 44%
C+ Satisfactory 51%
B Good 59%
B+ Very Good 66%
A Excellent 75%
A+ Exceptional 90%
The mechanism of working out the overall grade
The full range of marks and grades are shown with a worked example.
Worked Example
Professional Values B+ 66%
Communication and interpersonal skills A 75%
Nursing practice and decision making B+ 66%
Leadership, management and team-working B 59%
Overall grade = (66+75+66+59)/4 = 66.5% Therefore the grade would be 67%
What might the spread of students’ grades
look like overall ?
Acceptable Exceptional
What is the mentor role ?
• Ensure Year 2 & 3 students are signed off as green for
all NMC criteria and skills, before you grade
• Give a clear rationale for the Sign Off pass in each
domain area of the OAR final summary
• Check that the grade afforded reflects your comments
• Utilise feedback from the mentoring team & patient /
carer feedback to corroborate your grades and inform
your decision
Mentor proposed preparation
• Expand on information already embedded in
mentor updates to reflect timescales
Information now being developed:
• Introductory podcast
• Grading interview to view
• Mentor Update slides & Placement laminated
materials
• FAQ site on Practice Support Net
Grading of Practice Timelines?
• Where are we now?
• When is your next update?
• When will your first students be graded?
- Adult, July 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16 (final Yr 3)
- Child, March 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16 (final Yr 3)
- Learning Disability, June 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16
(final Yr 3)
- Mental Health, June 15 (formative Yr 2), June 16
(final Yr 3)