When did you first introduce the innovation?
Less than 12 months ago
Please describe the innovation you have developed
This is a collaborative HEWI funded project with nine HEI’s of which the University of Chester leads. The innovation is an Online Practice Assessment Record & Evaluation (PARE) tool, which enables student nurses, midwives and other healthcare related students to access their practice assessment documentation anytime, anywhere, and on any PC or mobile device. Mentors have corresponding access to their specific student’s records for ease of assessment and sign off, whilst auto notification emails and dedicated discussion board for Student, Mentor and University Link Lecturer ensures solid communication and situational awareness. This ensures timely feedback to placement areas, and universities on the quality and effectiveness of the placement environments. The tool also incorporates the development and review of any required action plans online. The PARE evaluation tool also reminds and notifies Students, Mentors, Practice Education Facilitators (PEFs), and Higher Education Academics when evaluations are completed; whilst also notifying of newly generated, outstanding and completed action plans to all relevant stakeholders. Finally the PARE system allows for automated feedback to the students on the outcomes of their evaluations as appropriate, and generates detailed reports on live data and trends for differing levels of stakeholder from mentor to education commissioner.
What prompted you to develop this innovation?
A poor student response rate and turnaround time from a paper based evaluation tool, prompted the opportunity to standardise the approach to practice learning evaluation. This generated a regional group comprising of nine universities and differing clinical professionals; practice development managers, and commissioners together to collaborate and develop a single set of questions that meets all multiprofessional stakeholder requirements. Once established the group then took the opportunity to tackle problems with a paper based student practice assessment document, such as frequent loss or damage to documents, infection control and information protection concerns, and the high cost of document production, by creating online versions of assessment documents underpinned by the same secure IT infrastructure
In your view, what is it about this innovation that makes it different/important?
The PARE enables students, mentors, and academics to evaluate placements in real time, and gain transparent feedback on the quality of a placement and examples of best practice.
It allows students and mentors access to their practice assessment documentation anytime, anyplace, and on any device, thus preventing the need to carry large documents into practice, with all the associated problems that entails.
Tailored auto-notifications of any entries or changes made to assessment documentation or evaluation forms are received by students, mentors and link academics, keeping everyone informed of completed inductions, mid and final term reports and outcomes.
Automated timetables record verified practice hours completed and notifies students, mentors and academics of any expected shortfalls or specific experiences such as night shifts worked or specific experiences requiring further monitoring.
Stakeholders at various levels are able to benchmark the quality of a placement area against similar placements across the region and compare with regional and organisational averages.
Academic and clinical colleagues are facilitated to work together in real time on joint action plans, transparent to all, which can then feedback a summary of outcomes to the student, closing the feedback loop and improving student motivation to evaluate and their future professional communication skills.
To what extent does your innovation make use of existing approaches, resources or technologies?
It allows students and mentors access to their practice assessment documentation anytime, anyplace, and on any device, thus preventing the need to carry large documents into practice, with all the associated problems that entails, all areas have access to such devices. The practice assessment document already existed in paper form.
To what degree has this innovation led to changes in education or clinical practice?
Initial data has seen an increase in student practice evaluation returns across three HEIs rise from less than 10% prior to launch, to 64% during the evaluation pilot. This figure is set to rise as access to the tool is increased.
Far greater, and more timely communication between mentor, PEF and academic when assessing and monitoring students, and when action planning following student placement evaluation
Greater transparency of trend data for senior managers within an organisation and for commissioner of educational services.
Quality improvements and sharing of best practice now happens far more quickly.
What evidence do you have of the impact of the innovation?
As the PARE Evaluation tool was introduced at the beginning of the calendar year, we currently have data from three of the nine university students to date from three professional groups; however, figures suggest a substantial increase in student returns, and anecdotal evidence of improved communication and speed of action planning by academic and clinical education colleagues.
The Practice Assessment Document aspect of the PARE has undergone limited alpha testing to date, but has been well received by students, mentors and academics involved.
To what degree has the innovation been disseminated in your organisation or elsewhere?
Online PARE is available to nursing students now across five HEI. The aim is to have the online PARE available to each HEI within the region and across a minimum of six professional healthcare programmes by March 2016. (Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Paramedic, Dietetics, and Social Work)
A series of regional workshops and road shows are being used to introduce the PARE to all stakeholders in higher education and clinical practice (NHS and PIVO), as well as placement development managers and service commissioners
Evaluation data on the two key aspects of the innovation is being compiled and analysed, with a planned conference presentation and publication in May 2016.
Further information can be obtained from Mike Brownsell, University of Chester, m.brownsell@chester.ac.uk
Please provide details of any plans you have to disseminate the innovation in the future.
Evaluation data on the two key aspects of the innovation is being compiled and analysed, with a planned conference presentation and publication in May 2016.
Further information can be obtained from Mike Brownsell, University of Chester, m.brownsell@chester.ac.uk