The Placement Opportunities in the Study of Nursing - Research Paper Example

Word Count 106 A Scenario Based Essay One of the most important aspects of the study of nursing is the placement opportunities. This begins the actual practice of nursing and the opportunity for the individual to understand how they fit within the setting that they have chosen. For most students, this is a time they look forward to although this placement can be gruelling and intense. Usually, students take this step seriously but there are students who do not see this as an important part of their training. From the supervisor or mentors point of view, the clinicals can give them a sense of how the individual student will do in the future. The clincials point out a sense of attitude from the student, their personality, bedside manner and their work ethic. This also gives the student a chance to see whether they like working with patients in certain settings. Issues from the Scenario There are basically three issues in this scenario and two of them are related. The first two issues show that the student is showing up late for their placement and they have missed several times during the four weeks that they have been involved. They are also late coming back from breaks during the day. The other issue is that the student is not really talking about what is going on when they are confronted and therefore are in danger of failing. Although these are the issues presented in the scenario, there is another issue that is important to consider: This placement may not be a fit for this particular student, which could be the reason for their attitude and behaviour. Analysis The most obvious issue for the mentor in this situation is what to do about it. The student may fail this aspect of training unless she starts to take responsibility for her behaviour and changes it. The mentor must make a decision about the type of intervention that is needed or whether it is time to fail the student. According to Cleland et al. (2008), there are many factors that influence whether an individual who is underperforming should be failed. One of the challenges with failing a student is that mentors have difficulty doing this if they feel they are stopping a students career. Also, failing a student may depend on what the mentor felt about the student overall. Taking the facts into consideration suggest that the mentor will have to fail this student because they are halfway through the placement and the behaviour has not changed. Their attitude seems to show that they are not interested in the placement. At this point, an assessment of the attitudes, personality and skills would be helpful for the student. How does she perceive her placement? Is something happening that she does not like that is making her want to be late? Can the problem be fixed? These would be some of the first questions to ask. Another question is whether the student is in a profession that pleases them. Also, is there something happening in their personal life that is stopping them from concentrating on their placement? According to a study done by Cleland, Arnold and Chesser (2004), personal or family pressures can be a contributing factor to students not doing well in medical school. They suggest that support systems must be in place and visible for students to succeed. The mentor must also talk with the student and help them re-clarify their goals. Perhaps the student needs to be reminded of her own personal goals and why they started this profession. They should also be reminded that the placement opportunity is a way for them to realize their overall goals. Sharples and Kelly (2007) suggest that mentors must provide many things for their students. They must receive support in how to work with students who are failing. One issue they suggest is that identifying the weaker students early is important because "there will always be students on practice placements who struggle to achieve competence" (p. 45). This particular student is showing signs of stress because they are staying away from class. This could mean that they are struggling academically or having problems with some aspect of the placement. The case study does not say whether the individual was provided information about her progress and specifically about the danger of failing. This would be important to know. If she was told that this behaviour could lead to failure, and they continued on this course, the mentor has not choice but to fail them. Letting them know early could put them on the right track again. Another issue is that these students are being taught competencies that are important to the profession. If a mentor does not assess them properly, they are doing a disservice to the student. Best Practices and Conclusion According to Woodcock (2009), "to safeguard professional standards, patients and the public, students whose clinical performance is poor must be failed" (p. 18). Although this is true to a point, students must be given a chance to perform better. One of the ways to do this is to have early meetings with mentors and students to discuss student progress and to create a specific plan for improvement (Woodcock, 2009). Learning contracts with students who are failing can also be important so that everyone will know what is expected. Another best practice is to give constant feedback to students with constructive criticism. There are four methods of assessment that is suggested: "observation, questioning, testimonies and reflective discussion" (Woodcock, p. 19). These four assessments allow mentors to find the weaknesses in students before the situation becomes more involved. Sharples (2007) also supports developing an action plan although they found that some mentors were apprehensive about them. Link lectures were important becaes many students were more confident with someone that was there to be supportive. According to the distance learning packet, mentorship training should include a section that helps mentors understand how to use a failing assessment. Mentors should also have help to develop skills to deal with "practical aspects and formal procedure" (Distance Learning Package, p. 124). When mentors have opportunities to work with students, they must understand that students perceive their clinical placements in different ways. This may mean that some students may show signs of failing early which means they must be found quickly before the situation progresses to the point where interventions cannot be made. Students may not be able to explain why they are failing so mentors must develop the skills necessary to identify failing students. Mentors must also come to terms about their own feelings a bout failing students in order to b e most effective. REFERENCES Cleland, J., Arnold, R. and Chesser, A. 2004 . Why do some students fail exams? oral presentation at ASME, Liverpool, 1-3 September 2004, and for poster presentation at EACH, Bruges, 15-17th September 2004. A paper based on the findings from the first, 5th year cohort, has been submitted to Medical Teacher. Retrieved April 7, 2010 from http://www.medev.ac.uk/docs/cleland_why_do_some_students/ whydosomestudentsfail_interim04.pdf Cleland, J.A., et. al. (2008). Is it me or is it them? Factors that influence the passing of underperforming students. Medical Education. 42, 800-809. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2923-2008-03113.x Sharples, K. and Kelly, D. 2007 . Supporting mentors in practice (cover story). Nursing Standard. 21 (39). 44-47. Retrieved April 7, 2010 from Academic Search Premier database. Woodcock, J. 2009. Supporting students who may fail. Emergency Nurse. 16 (9). 18-21. Retrieved April 7, 2010 from Academic Search Premier database. Read More