Future Nurse and Midwife

The purpose of the PAD is to provide a record of your practice learning progress and achievement of learning outcomes throughout each practice learning experience (PLE). This allows current and future practice supervisors; practice assessors and academic assessors to see an overview of your progress from the first PLE through to the last.

The PAD is an integral part of the learning process.  It is not simply a catalogue of learning activities; rather, will provide clear evidence of the learning that has occurred. The PAD provides an opportunity to demonstrate evidence of learning from academic activities and application to practice learning as well as from practice experience; it is particularly important to demonstrate achievement of the NMC Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses.

All Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) deliver their pre-registration nursing programmes in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses. All Scottish HEIs have worked collaboratively to produce a single Practice Assessment Document (PAD) for Scotland, which must be completed by all nursing students undertaking a pre-registration nursing programme.

As a pre-registration nursing student, you will have consented to the carrying of your practice assessment document throughout the duration of your programme. You will also have confirmed that you recognise the importance of the PAD to your ongoing learning, supported by your practice supervisor, and assessment of your proficiency, undertaken by your practice assessor and academic assessor for each part and for your future practice. 

Your PAD is an important tool in presenting an overall picture of your achievement and progression through your programme. It provides evidence for your practice supervisors and assessors about your achievements and/or needs. This is in accordance with the NMC Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes which states, that “all proficiencies are recorded in an ongoing record of achievement”.

As a student it is your responsibility to:

• Take a proactive approach to practice and personal learning by developing learning plans.
• Complete the pre practice learning activities prior to the start of the PLE.
• Be aware who your academic assessor is and the Practice Education Facilitator (PEF/CHEF) for the area. 
• Identify the approved mechanism by which you, as a student, may raise concerns about the safety of service users.  This is addressed through the “Raising Concerns in Practice” in your Student Handbook and you MUST make yourself aware of your responsibilities in relation to this aspect of your role. 
• Always seek consent from service users at all times and you must respect the rights of a service user to decline your participation in care, or to decline care, at all times.
• Provide access to your PAD on day 1 of each PLE and thereafter, so that your supervisor/assessor can review your progress to date. Failure to do so may result in a delay to the commencement of your placement.
• Ensure all actions and entries in your PAD are undertaken in collaboration with your practice supervisor/assessor and documented by them.
• Identify experiences and learning opportunities with practice supervisor/assessor to enable the achievement of practice learning outcomes, NMC Proficiencies, communication and relationship management skills and nursing procedures and personal objectives.
• Critically reflect in and on your practice and document within your PAD.
• Demonstrate your ability to integrate theoretical learning with practice.
• Share with your practice supervisors and assessors evidence of learning and development to inform assessment of performance.
• Ensure that all elements of the assessment section are completed fully and signed before you leave your PLE.
• Ensure that your practice supervisor/practice assessor completes and signs your ‘attendance record’.
• On completion of the PLE, individual HEI procedures will be followed for your submission of documentation.
• Ensure that you have knowledge of the requirements and declare your Good Health and Good Character. You must declare a Good Health and Good Character for every part of your programme and for entry to the register.
• Ensure that you have knowledge of the requirements of the NMC Duty of Candour and act upon this accordingly at all times.

In addition to the activities described above, as a student you must be aware of the requirement to complete an evaluation after each PLE; this is part of the formal university audit process.

This PAD will show your achievements, progression through the programme and contribute to the decision for entry to the register. If you have any questions regarding this document or how to use it please do not hesitate to speak to your academic assessor/module/year/programme leader.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes state that: “Approved education institutes together with practice learning partners must ensure that students are supernumerary”. 

Supernumerary status means that: “Students in practice or work-placed learning must be supported to learn. This may include being supernumerary, meaning that they are not counted as part of the staffing required for safe and effective care in that setting”

“The decision on the level of supervision provided for students should be based on the needs of the individual student. The level of supervision can decrease with the student’s increasing proficiency and confidence.”

This means that you have supernumerary status whilst within the practice learning environment; you are not to be ‘counted in the numbers’ but you will make an active contribution to the provision of care under a varying degree of supervision whilst on your programme of study.

You will have a number of practice learning experiences throughout your programme.  During your PLEs responsibility for supervision and assessment will lie with a practice supervisor, practice assessor and an academic assessor.

Nominated Person

There is a nominated person for each practice setting to actively support you and address student concerns.  In Scotland this nominated person in each PLE is a practice supervisor.

Practice Supervisor

There may be a number of practice supervisors in each learning environment who will support and supervise you as a student however, you must have a nominated practice supervisor identified to actively support you and address any concerns you may have during this experience.  They can be any registered health and social care professional working in a practice environment, but most of the time they will be nurses or midwives. Practice supervisors will have been prepared and supported to take up their role and will have up-to-date knowledge and experience relevant to the supervision they must provide for you. All NMC registered nurses and midwives are capable of supervising students. Practice supervision will enable you to learn and safely achieve proficiency and autonomy in your professional role.  Your supervision will reflect your learning needs and stage of learning.

Your practice supervisor will act as a role model and in line with their scope of practice.  They will provide you with support and feedback, liaising with colleagues and your practice assessor to document your progress and summative assessments as part of this practice assessment document.

Practice Assessor

Your practice assessor will in collaboration with your practice supervisor(s), create sufficient opportunities to periodically observe your practice across environment(s) in order to inform the decisions they reach for your assessment and progression in practice.

Your practice assessor works in partnership with your academic assessor to evaluate and recommend your progression for each part of the programme.  This will be in line with programme standards and local and national policies.  They will maintain current knowledge and expertise relevant for the proficiencies and programme outcomes they are assessing. Your practice assessors will have an understanding of your learning and achievement in theory and will collaborate with your academic assessors to reach a decision as part of the assessment process. 

The same person cannot be your practice assessor and practice supervisor simultaneously.

Academic Assessor

Your academic assessors make and record objective, evidence based decisions on your conduct, proficiency and achievement.  They will also make recommendations for progression based on your assessments, practice assessment document and other resources.  They will collate and confirm your achievement of proficiencies and programme outcomes in the academic environment for each part of the programme

Academic assessors maintain their current knowledge and expertise relevant for the proficiencies and programme outcomes they are assessing and confirming.  They will have an understanding of your learning and achievement in practice.

Your nominated academic assessor will work in partnership with your nominated practice assessor to evaluate your learning and make recommendations for progression for each part of the programme.  This will be in line with programme standards and local and national policies.

Your academic assessor will collaborate with your practice assessors at scheduled points in the programme.

Your academic assessor cannot simultaneously be your practice supervisor or practice assessor.

Please read the Performance Review Process section to assist you to understand the assessment process, including how services users, carers and other professionals’ contribute to your assessment, the need for a risk assessment to be carried out in certain circumstances, reasonable adjustment, raising concerns and attendance.