Innovation
Staff, mentors, service users and carers worked together to develop a pilot project with the use of a patient feedback tool for use by nursing students while on clinical practice. The aim was to develop a mini 360 degree review process for the student with the mentor obtaining feedback from patients, which was then used by the mentor to complement their feedback to the student, resulting in student reflection, and future professional development.
To protect the relationship between the student and the patient it was agreed that the mentor would be ultimately responsible for approaching and selecting appropriate patients, who knew the student well enough to give feedback and who were physically and emotionally well enough to be involved. The mentor then collected the patient feedback, and used the information within their feedback to the student as part of the student assessment of practice. To ensure the patient or families did not feel coerced into giving feedback, it was made clear to them that declining would not compromise the care they received. The patient details are annonymised and no personal details were collected. To prevent patient overload, mentors need only approach two patients, for each student per year.
The student reflected on feedback from the mentor and patient, identified their learning, and recorded this in their practice portfolio. There is opportunity for the student to discuss this feedback with the mentor but not with the patient.
What prompted innovation?
With a strong emphasis currently on nursing becoming a more compassionate profession, the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (Francis 2013) has highlighted a need to recruit, educate and assess nursing students with regard to their attitude, values, and beliefs in relation to providing care. Who better to ask than the patients/clients? This is reiterated by the Government promoting the idea that patients should contribute to the assessment of pre-registration student nurses and reinforced by the NMC who promotes the idea that patients should contribute to the assessment of preregistration student nurses.
What makes innovation different?
There are examples of students approaching patients for feedback but we feel this new project has the ability to achieve more honest and varied feedback as the patient’s identity is protected and the student has no contact with the student. Our research suggests this approach to getting student feedback from patients is innovative.
Changes in practice
It was piloted within acute, primary care and independent sector placements with a range of mentors and adult student nurses. Practice educators and students have given feedback and suggested some improvements which are being taken forward. From October 2013 this work will be taken forward in all adult nursing cohorts.
Dissemination
- A report of the pilot study has been shared with stakeholders and practitioners within adult nursing and at the School of Health Service User and Carers group and the Learning and Teaching group
- With support from the Dean of the School of Health and the School Learning and Teaching group the work will be disseminated across subject groups