Web Resource 10.1: National Guidance for Nutrition
For links to the National Guidance for Nutrition in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales visit the accompanying web page.
Response to Scenario 10.11
Janet arranges to meet with Kate to discuss issues around personal and professional conduct. She asks Kate if she has informed the university about the impending drink–driving charge. Kate states that it is not a big deal, because she will probably get off with a fine and a few points on her licence as it is the first time that she has been caught.
Scenario 10.11
Kate is a 28-year-old single occupational health student. She is currently on her third week of placement working on a dementia unit. Her mentor Janet is concerned that Kate might have an alcohol problem. Kate talks about heavy drinking sessions with her friends and brags about getting ‘blaked’. On a couple of occasions Janet has thought that she could smell alcohol on Kate’s breath.
Janet asks her colleagues if they have any concerns about Kate’s drinking and she is told that Kate has just been charged with a drink–driving offence.
- What would you do and why?
Janet points out that Kate is expected to demonstrate high standards of personal and professional conduct. Poor conduct outside the profession may affect the public’s confidence in Kate as well as in the wider profession. One of the core principles of practice is:
To be open and honest, act with integrity and uphold the reputation of the profession. This means that she must abide by the laws of the country. Inform the university and clinical placement immediately of any breaches of the laws. All healthcare professionals (students or registrants) must abide by UK laws and rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the university and clinical placement.
Janet is concerned that Kate has little insight into her alcohol problems and states that she is going to inform the university of this transgression and will try to access help for Kate.
The Health Professional Council (HPC 2010a) have produced audiovisual presentations aimed at registrants and students. To view them visit the accompanying web page www.hpc-uk.org/mediaandevents.
For further information access the following documents:
- Guidance on Professional Conduct for Nursing and Midwifery Students (NMC 2009)
- Guidance on Ethics and Conduct for Students (HPC 2010b). Available from: www.hpc-uk.org/publications/brochures/index.asp?id=219
- Canllaw ar ynddygiad a moeseg I fyfyrwyr – Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for Students (Welsh version) Available from: www.hpc-uk.org/publications/brochures/index.asp?id=219
Reflection on Scenario 10.12
The standards and performance grading schemes have been written to reflect all levels of achievement that it is possible to attain during the various stages of learning. It is important that the remarks issued by mentors provide a true reflection of the student’s grade (as indicated by the descriptors in the standards and records of achievement).
Scenario 10.12
Blazenca is a second-year student working on a rehabilitation unit. She has worked very hard to demonstrate her knowledge and skills and to relate the theory learnt at university into practical application. Blazenca gets on well with all her colleagues, patients and especially her mentor. Everyone has provided her with positive feedback while she has been on clinical placement and she will be sad to leave. Darko, her mentor, had asked Blazenca to assess her own performance; he told her that they would meet up to discuss her concluding record of achievement and to issue the final grading on her performance.
Blazenca read through the standards, performance expectations and reflects on the feedback that she has received; on the basis of these elements she grades herself as excellent. When she meets with Darko he states that her overall performance has been outstanding and he would love to see her return to the unit to work after she qualifies. He says that the grade he will be giving her is Commendable. Blazenca asks why the grade is less than her expectation and is different to the feedback that she has been given verbally. Darko explains that he never gives an excellent grade to second-year students because they still have a lot to learn on their way to becoming fully fledged practitioners.
- Is Blazenca correct in believing that she should receive an excellent grade or is Darko correct in giving her a commendable grade?
When awarding a student a final grading, the mentor must consider the student’s overall performance, giving consideration to feedback received from patients and colleagues, and where appropriate these comments should be written verbatim into the record of achievement.
Assessment feedback should be congruent with the grade awarded and examples of the student’s practice should be used to illustrate the reason for the final grade that is being awarded. Therefore, Blazenca should have received the top (excellent) grade rather than the commendable grade that Darko gave her.
Reflection on Scenario 10.13
Bev thanks Miikka for coming along to the department and showed him around the unit, introducing him to various members of staff. Miikka explained that he has dyscalculia (see Helpful web links for the definition). He describes the difficulties that this can cause:
- Interpreting numbers and writing them down is hard.
- Calculations can take a long time to work out.
- He forgets formulas.
- He can lose track of numbers when he is counting.
- Noise can be an issue if it causes a distraction.
Scenario 10.13
Miikka is a second-year student who is due to go on placement at the large accident and emergency department. He is looking forward to the new placement, but is worried that his specific learning disability (SLD) of dyscalculia might cause difficulties.
He arranges to meet with his mentor, Bev, before his official start date, in order to discuss any potential obstacles.
- What does legislation say about reasonable adjustments?
- What reasonable adjustments would you suggest?
- Does Miikka need to reach the same competency level as other students?
Bev reassures him that all the staff on the unit work hard to promote an environment and culture of inclusiveness. She states that under the Consolidation Act 2010, which replaced the Disability Discrimination Act 2004 (DDA) (except in Northern Ireland where it still remains), reasonable adjustments have to be made to help him. The term ‘reasonable’ has no legal definition and so it will be up to Miikka to say if he feels that they have been reasonable or not. She explores the strategies that he has found helpful in the past and suggests that they also include the following:
- Mnemonics, auditory and visual supports (see Chapter 5 for details)
- Provide cue cards
- Use of calculator (depending on trust policy)
- To give simple instructions
- Regular review of progress together.
Bev points out that there is still an expectation that Miikka will demonstrate competence in clinical abilities to ensure that he is fit for practice. Miikka feels confident that with support and understanding he will achieve the standard expected of him.
Helpful Web Links
Dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia: a toolkit for nursing staff: www.dyscalculia.me.uk
Reflection on Scenario 10.14
Anya cannot work through her holidays in order to achieve the failed learning outcomes.
Scenario 10.14
Anya is a second level podiatry student currently on clinical/practice placement at a diabetic foot clinic. Hannah, her mentor/supervisor, has been facilitating Anya’s learning in order that Anya can achieve the HPC standards of proficiencies that have been identified in the practice portfolio.
Anya and Hannah have worked well together and Anya has achieved many of the learning outcomes, but not all. Together they identified the gaps in knowledge and set up innovative ways to achieve the competencies, but unfortunately the learning outcomes remained illusive. Anya asks Hannah if it would be possible to work over her holiday period to achieve the learning outcomes.
- Would this be possible?
- What usually happens?
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
