MentOR handbook

Mentor Tasks & Responsibilities

Part of your role as a mentor is to supervise the student’s learning of the practical skills required and record your observations on the Key Skills, Worksheets and other training log books (‘practical logs’). These practical logs are in addition to the video assessments the student is responsible for coordinating and filming.

Each student will have a set of key skills and videos that cover the tasks that they need to master in order to meet the requirements of their qualification. They should show you these on their first day along with their first day induction paperwork. They will then approach you for signing when they feel they have mastered the tasks. Students are advised to approach you regularly to discuss and sign off tasks, and not to leave it all to the last day. If you do not agree that they have mastered the task, do not sign it off.

Not all students will master all the necessary skills in the time they are in your workplace. This is ok – you should never sign off unless you are 100% satisfied that the student can perform that task unassisted, like an employee. It is perfectly fine to refuse to sign off if you are not happy – we will work with the student on how to gain those skills. Also, students can still pass if some areas are not signed off, as long as the student can demonstrate a range of skills related to that area. Our Nurse Educators will make this determination once they receive the practical logs back.

We expect that you will observe the students performing the necessary tasks on numerous occasions, and record a range of dates across all the log sheets. Just being able to correctly demonstrate a skill once does not mean the student can perform it correctly again and again.

It is important that you observe the student completing tasks to the same level you would require of an employee, on multiple occasions, in about the same time frame. Part of the definition of competency is the ability to regularly perform the task in a timely manner. So if it takes you 30 seconds to perform, a student who takes 30 minutes is not yet proficient. Only proficient attempts should be recorded in the Log Book. Do not sign off because you have demonstrated a task to the student, or a student has done it once slowly, even if correct.

Whilst it is the students responsibility to make sure the practical logs are complete we do ask that you take some time to ensure all the pages have been completed and signed and dated accordingly.

If during the placement period you feel that there are some issues that you would like to address, we encourage you to communicate with the student as you would with any other employee.

The student has a responsibility to the clinic to behave as any other employee would. This means showing up on time, phoning the clinic if they will be late or are unable to make placement, showing all staff members the respect that they deserve and acting in a safe and courteous manner around the clinic.

If at any time you feel that the student is not meeting their responsibilities, please feel free to give us a call on the dedicated Mentor phone line 03 9040 3600.

There will of course be some tasks that would not be suitable for a student to do in your workplace.

For these situations we ask that you could simulate this task and ask them to perform it as normal, allowing them to demonstrate they have acquired the necessary skills.

This may be a nurse acting in the role of a client, or you may use a stuffed animal in the place of a patient. If you have a situation like this, please feel free to call us so we can assist you with ideas. We also have some equipment that can be hired out to clinics and students (at the student’s cost).

Sometimes, simulation is not possible or you cannot replicate a real life situation. In these cases, please indicate this on the skill log. Students may be able to perform the skills instead with a Nurse Educator at one of our practical skills sessions.

Case Study Declarations

When a student is to submit a case study for an assessment, it must be an accurate reflection of their involvement in the case. They may still be required to discuss areas they were not involved in, and in some cases, discuss how they should have performed a task.

For each case study, the student must show you prior to submitting so you can verify they have accurately described their involvement. You will need to sign a case study declaration form, which the student will scan and upload with their assessment. Do not sign this unless the information provided is accurate, and the declaration lists the students name and the case study description.

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