Managing the Failing Student

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session students will be able to:

• State the potential impact of failing on the student

• Describe how you can support a student with special
needs and/or a disability within the relevant legal
framework
• State the reasons why a student may be failing
• Explain the process to follow when a student is failing
• List the support mechanisms available to students and
mentors
• Develop an action plan with clear assessment strategy
 Group Discussion
Think back to before this module,
• how did you feel about failing students?
• Have you had students that you wondered why
they were still on the programme
• What is your impression of CCUC – do we support
or do you feel it is not worth bothering as the
students will get through anyway?
• Has anything changed since doing the module?
If you were failing in your role, what
would you want to happen?

How do you think you would feel?

 How might the student feel?
Potential feelings of: Associated with potential:
• Vulnerability • Loss of status within the
• Shock family
• Embarrassment • Financial difficulty
• Anger • Blaming others such as
• Low self esteem the mentor/the university
• Relief
• Anxiety
Duffy, K, (2003)
Duffy, K, (2003) Kilgallon and Thompson ( 2012 eds)
Kilgallon and Thompson ( 2012 eds) Walsh (2010)
Walsh (2010)
Managing a failed clinical assessment

Group Work
What would make you question whether a
student is likely to fail their practice
assessment?
 Triggers for Concern
• Regularly arrive late for their shifts
• Lack personal self-awareness
• Have little insight into professional boundaries.
• Display poor communication and interpersonal
skills
• Appear unmotivated and demonstrate a lack of
interest and little participation in the placement
learning experience
• Not achieving competencies or expected level of
performance
 Supporting the Failing Student
If you identify a student is at risk of failing you
must:
1. Act promptly and remember to document all
actions and conversations
2. Reflect on your role as a mentor
3. Provide every opportunity to progress

Remember personal accountability.

Gopee (2010)
Kinnell and Hughes (2010)
CCCUC (2012) (Assessment of Practice Document)
 Documentation
• Record all actions, conversations, concerns
using specific examples where appropriate

• If it is not recorded, no evidence or proof so

student can appeal
 Supporting the Failing Student
Reflection on your role. Did you:
• Clarify expectations?
• Follow the assessment process?
• Provide appropriate learning opportunities?
• Let personal feelings / values influence decisions?
• Ask the student for their perspective on their progress (or have
you made assumptions)?
• Spend enough time working with / observing the student?
• Provide sufficient feedback on areas of concern?
• Help the student develop an action plan?
• Discuss concerns with link lecturer / sign-off mentor?

CCCUC (2012) (Assessment of Practice Document)

 Supporting the Failing Student
The mentor must provide the student with
every opportunity to progress, and this
should involve:
• Informal discussion of progress and concerns
• Set up system to ensure adequate support
and feedback
• Notify Academic in Practice

Shaw and Fulton (2012)

 CCCU Process
if no progress (1)
• Tripartite meeting with mentor , AIP and
student

• Identify support system / action plan

• Set review date - weekly

• Document in OAR
 CCCUC Process
if no progress (2)
• Fail student

• Tripartite process, AIP must be present

• Re sit opportunity to be arranged by

University
 Supporting the Failing Student:
Giving Feedback

To watch in own time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf5HGgayG-
w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EejwZEOLzR
U&feature=related
 Supporting the Failing Student:
Giving Feedback
• Make feedback part of your normal routine (and do not keep it for the
negative)
• Tell them exactly why their practice is good as well as why it is bad
• Ask the student to self assess first
• Give praise before criticism – what do you think of this?
• Be timely and own what you say
• Limit what you cover and focus on assessment criteria
• Concentrate on what can be changed
• Give the student time to think about what you are saying and respond
• Be clear and specific
• Vagueness increases anxiety and risks misunderstanding

Murray, Rosen and Staniland (2010) (eds)

 Discussion / Group work
• Why might students not be failed in practice?
 Reasons for not failing students
• Assessment documentation confusing
• Concerns about documenting students’
failings in practice
• Length of placements
• Time
• Lack of practical skills
• Poor communication
• Lack of interpersonal skills
• De-motivation

Access Duffy (2003)!

 Fitness to Practice
• Even if all competencies have been passed,
they have to be maintained.

• Fitness to practice – if at any stage there are

concerns that a student is unfit, can be
neutrally withdrawn and referred for
consideration of Fitness to Practice
Murray, Rosen and Staniland (2010) (eds)
 Fitness to Practice issues

Discussion – what is the difference between

competency and fitness?
 Possible FTP issues
• Dishonesty
• Unsafe
• Abuse

• Working outside boundaries / not adhering to

policy and guidelines
• You will be working in groups
• You will be acting as either the mentor, the student or an
observer
• You will be presented with scenario’s. Please rotate the roles
above for each scenario so that you all have an opportunity to
play all three parts
• Work through each scenario, using the template provided for
developing the action plan (take 15 minutes each scenario)
• Once all complete the observer should feedback their
observation to the small group for discussion (10 minutes in
total)
• Once complete a whole group discussion of the main learning
points from each group
 References
Duffy, K, (2003) Failing students: a qualitative study of factors that influence the decisions regarding
assessment of students’ competence in practice London N.M.C http://www.nmc-
uk.org/Documents/Archived%20Publications/1Research%20papers/Kathleen_Duffy_Failing_Students20
03.pdf

Gopee, N (2010) Practice Teaching in Healthcare London Sage

Kinnell, D and Hughes , P (2010) Mentoring Nursing and Healthcare Students Los Angeles Sage

Kilgallon, K and Thompson, J (2012) (eds) Mentoring in Nursing and Healthcare: A practical approach
Chichester Wiley

Murray, C, Rosen, L and Staniland, K (2010) (eds) The Nurse Mentor and Reviewer Update Book Berkshire
Open University Press

Shaw, M and Fulton, J (2012) Mentorship in Healthcare Keswick MK Publishing

Walsh, D (2010) The Nurse Mentor’s Handbook: Supporting Students in Clinical Practice Berkshire: Open
University Press