Checking Emergency Equipment - Essay Example

? NM3272 Summative Assessment: Additional guidance on short-answer questions This assessment consists of four short pieces of structured writing. Allquestions in the following boxes must be answered. There is no choice in this assessment. The structure of each piece of writing is provided below. Each box has a question or instruction at the top, and below we provide guidance on what your tutor will be assessing when grading you for each question. Each of the four pieces of work should be about 400 words, making 1600 words altogether. 1. 1.1 Checking emergency equipment is an area of learning where more than one method of assessment can apply in assessing a learner. Flo got a demonstration and several opportunities to practice before an assessment made. Direct observation is one of the methods of assessment that is applicable in this case. Observation is significant in assessing a learner’s competence including cognitive skills like knowledge, synthesis and comprehension. Additionally, through observation, a learner’s attentiveness, retention of details and motor reproduction of skills is subject to assessment. The fact that observation gives direct and real time results makes it the most obvious form of assessment for practical lessons. This method is very effective in providing feedback on what and how much a student has learnt, and on how effective the teaching methods are. Indeed, Flo was observed when simulating or doing a certain procedure and in this way, I was able to grade her based on real life presentation. This enables the provision of two way feedback on the effectiveness of teaching methods while at the same time, the learner gets to know his or her capabilities on reproduction of skills. Observation was also applicable in Flo’s assessment when checking proficiency of emergency equipment like the intubation box, which she did proficiently. 1.2 The observation method is very valid and reliable in assessing the learner. Indeed, observation was valid in giving real time results. Moreover, the assessor would observe Flo as she goes about with the procedures. As such, the assessment is valid in that the student and the assessor are present and the results are relevant to the assessment. Indeed, according to the feedback I received from the team about Flo’s performance whilst on this placement I can confirm that this method is valid. The observation method was reliable in allowing direct assessment of cognitive skills like knowledge, synthesis and comprehension. In addition, observation provides an opportunity to observe real time practice for instance presentation on endotracheal suction according to Trust Policy and confirm subsequent results. The results from the observation methods are reliable since they are not subject to manipulations and bias as they happen in reality. WORD COUNT 1.3 In addition, conducting structured interviews was another method of assessing the learner in the same area. Interviews take place verbally with previously prepared questions or where a leaner explains a concept verbally for assessment. Interviews with pre-test questions allow a student to be more comfortable and true to the assessment hence improving validity and reliability. In contrast to interviews, observation assesses a learner’s competence in cognitive skills like knowledge, synthesis, and comprehension, attentiveness, retention of details and motor reproduction of skills. It gives real time outcomes and measures the effectiveness of the feedback and teaching methods. Interviews with pre-test questions allow a student to be more comfortable unlike observing a student, which can sometimes seem like prying on private space. Hence, in situations where relaxed answers that are not pressurized are necessary, interviews apply. Indeed, where students are not comfortable in taking part in a supervised assessment, interviews supersede. I resolved these contradictions by undertaking a personal assessment on Flo before deciding on the method of assessment. This was helpful in ascertaining the most applicable method of assessment. I used the observation method where real time results are required and used interviews where pre-test questions are ready and verbal explanations are necessary. WORD COUNT 2: Feedback: Think about sessions when you gave positive and more critical feedback to your learner(s) (Total 20% of marks available) (Word count available: 400 words) Positive feedback 2.1 Verbal feedbacks came up during preparation and assistance in preparing for emergencies. Feedback is not a single event. Formally, a learner would construct their own understanding of the task and formulating corresponding goals and strategies for achieving them. Positive feedback enabled Flo to identify problematic areas and direct all energy to achieve the goal. Feedback comes from the mentor, team, peers and self. The added benefit of offering positive constructive feedback is that it enhances the student’s experiences because it is individual and unique to the student’s requirements and it can allow the free exchange of ideas based on observations and the mutually agreed outcomes. Informally I provided immediate feedback when working together, socializing, and during observation of learners. Positive feedback was dependent on Flo’s strengths to reinforce good attitudes. For instance, during endo-tracheal suctioning I once told Flo that I liked the fact that she explained the procedure to the parents in the process, and they kept on reassuring the baby. Through this method, the parents who were not necessarily acquainted with the assessment were able to participate fully. Advantages Of Positive Feedback It gives a true reflection of the status quo It encourages universal participation by all stakeholders including parents and students Disadvantages Of Positive Feedback Positive feedback may cause instability It may also cause relaxation and contentment hence hindering development as people assume all is right Where the feedback was biased, then this leads to a misguidance which is very costly It relies on the strengths of the respondent Giving Critical feedback 2.2 Feedback helps in reinforcing good performance. This is especially effective in training sessions on endo-tracheal suctioning and in informal situations where Flo was assisting in emergencies. It also enables learners to assess their self-performance. It encourages dialogue between Flo and me in the process. As a result, the mentor was able to rate the effectiveness of their teaching methods. Feedbacks are multipurpose and this may lead to mismatch in learner-mentor perception on comments (Gibbs and Simpson, 2007). In informal situations, feedback is available without grades, which is more damaging (Gibbs & Simpson 2007) ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Giving feedback is important because it can: • Improve performance • Increase morale • Develop teamwork • Enhance the quality of the service provided The risks of lack of good feedback are that it can: • Demoralise • Reduce confidence • Cause conflict Disadvantages of critical feedback The judgement aims at influencing peer’s opinion. It is difficult to keep the objectivity Points indentified by students may not be seen as positive statements It is hard to appreciate the weakness present It is equally challenging to work on the weaknesses (Gopee 2008). 3. Overall performance as mentor: Consider the five ‘qualities of mentors’ that your group brainstormed during Day 1 (you will find the list on Moodle for your group) (Total 20% of marks available) (Word count available: 400 words) 3. Mentors should be able to impart knowledge. Mentors should inspire and refine the capabilities of a mentee at the beginning of a career. Teamwork was one way I encouraged learning. Flo gained from other team members in my absence or if any learning opportunity presented itself in my absence. Sometimes I would have to rely on some of my colleagues for their knowledge of neonatal matters to impact appropriate knowledge to the student. Another way of encouraging learning is by encouraging goal setting that aims at helping in directing energy in a certain direction. This helps in developing a focused learning plan that aids in making SMART objectives; specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound goals. In addition, periodic interviews were also applicable in ensuring that my mentees constantly revised their work in the process internalizing concepts better. However, I fell short in this quality, as we did not have enough time. Had I motivated the learners with some incentives, the results would have been a bit improved. Indeed, after my own assessment, I realized that to some extent I fell short in the quality I provided. 3.2. Time management was one of the most difficult skills to acquire and there were constant demands of my time and attention. For example, Flo did not easily adjust to her new commitments at times when we had to deal with staff shortages, to manage both Flo and the ward workload was very demanding. My unit can be very busy` at times, students are left to learn by themselves. To avoid this, Flo was allocated to work with other colleagues in my absence. In a busy unit like SCBU, nurses should be able to withstand the stress and remain calm, friendly and tactful without the risk of ignoring anyone. I tried my best to support myself even when I was stressed and sometimes I missed my breaks. As a role model, this did not affect my attitude. I was also unable to monitor the progress of my learner because sometimes we work on different shifts. In this quality, I largely fell below the requisite standards. The occasional shortage of staff also made my work as a mentor more challenging than I had anticipated. This situation and the arising matters concerned as new member of staff were discussed and clarified at the first meeting with my student. WORD COUNT=395 4.2. The paper draws a deep understanding of how mentors make judgments about students’ clinical competence. The paper that ‘Good mentoring’ depends on students building a relationship with their mentors, and undertaking a great deal of ‘emotional labor’ to convince mentors that they are ‘good students’. In my observation, mentorship depends on the student’s attitude towards learning. In addition, as the research paper observes, the burden of creating effective mentoring relationships falls on students. Another observation is that mentors who are experienced nurses bring the benefit of the wealth of knowledge and skills to the relationship. The use of the competency also features in this research paper in terms of clinical competence. However, unlike my observation that Students feel prayed on when being observed in an assessment, the paper value mentors who prepared them for new experiences and stood by while students put what they had been taught into practice. In both cases, the mentors and students emphasized relationships as the fundamental element in making decisions about student competence. 4.3 The similarities between the paper and my practice are very significant in explaining mentorship. They confirm the need for mentorship, its drivers, and possible significance. They call for students’ positive attitude in enhancing good mentorship. Indeed, the similarities confirm the important role of students ascertaining good mentorship, the role of the mentors to encourage learning, and promote clinical competence. The importance of experienced mentors in passing the wealth of knowledge and skills to the relationship is dominant in both cases. The research paper and my practice concur that the use of competency in supervision and providing feedback is fundamental. On the other hand, the differences between my practice and the research paper clearly show the different assessment methods applicable in this case. Observation and interview methods both apply in this study. In addition, the research paper notes that mentors are valued for their input and would rather stay around as the students show what they learnt, however, both in practice and in the paper student competence characterizes the studies. Mentors should consider how evidence from various sources might contribute to making a judgement on performance and competence. When assessing student it is important to develop an effective mentoring relationship to aid in the assessment of the student. If negative qualities are being expressed then this could lead to a poor assessment of the student. Read More