General Practice Nurse (GPN) Training Programme Course Handbook

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Londonwide Local Medical Committees General Practice Nurse Training Programme Londonwide Local Medical Committees Ltd Tavistock House South Tavistock Square London WC1H 9LG Londonwide Local Medical Committees Ltd Programme Course Director Gill Rogers: [email protected] Londonwide Local Medical Committees Ltd Programme Administrator Kayleigh Cooper: [email protected] Middlesex University Accreditation contact Alan Beadsmoore: [email protected] Academic Practice Nurse Advisor Tina Bishop: [email protected]

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Contents 1.

9.

Welcome to the GPN Training Programme 5 1.1

2. 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6

3.

Course Team

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Accrediting Body Admission Requirements Quality Management Course Outline and Rationale Programme Aims Learning Outcomes

5 5 5 6 6 6

Programme Structure 

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3.1 Introduction 3.2 Course Expectations 3.3 Taught Days 3.4 Online Learning 3.5 Competency Document  3.6 Assessments  3.7 Practice Mentor

4.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

4.1 Maintaining a Learner-Centred Approach 4.2 Core Course Themes 4.3 Student Support 4.4 Learning Portfolio 4.5 Communication 4.6 Teamwork 4.7 Personal Tutoring 4.8 Self-directed Learning

5.

Assessment Method

5.1 Summative Assessment (Written Assignment)  5.2 Competency Document  5.3 Presentation

6. 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12

7. 7.1 7.2 7.3

8.

10.

6 6 6 7 7 7 7

11.

Access to Educational Literature

Academic Coherence and Course Management 18

11.1 Course Management 11.2 Maximum Period of Registration

12.

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Unforeseen Problems

18 18

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12.1 Extension of Deadline due to Mitigating Circumstances18

7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8

13.

Cheating and Plagiarism

13.1 Examples of Plagiarism

14.

Working Together

14.1 Collusion or Collaboration

15.

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Equal Opportunities

15.1 General Principles 15.2 Equal Opportunities 15.3 Development Plan

9 10 11

19 19

19 19

20 20 20 20

Appendices A: General Practice Nurse B: Programme for Taught Day 1 C: General Practice Nurse D: Programme for Taught Day 2 E: Extension of Deadline (EoD) Request Form

Presentation of Assignments 11 Submitting Assignments 12 Marking of Assignments 12 Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework 12 Action in the Case of Failure (or Referral)12 Assessment Boards and the Release of Results12 Course Results 13 Feedback on Assessments 13 Final Results 13 External Examiners 13 Published Reports 13 Exclusion from a Programme of Study on Academic Grounds 13

Effective Reading Academic Key Words Grammar and Sentence Construction

Course Committee and Student Feedback 18

10.1 Terms of Reference 18 10.2 Course Committee Composition 18 10.3 Making the Most of the Course Committee18 10.4 Website 18

Managing the Assessment Process 11

Study Skills

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9.1 Making Sense of Referencing 15 9.2 Referencing 15 9.3 Referring to Publications Within the Text of your Essay 15 9.4 Collating your References  16

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Programme Specification

Referencing Conventions

13 13 14 15

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25 25 26 26 27

Executive Summary

I would like to welcome you to the Londonwide LMCs General Practice Nurse (GPN) Training Programme. Our aim is to provide practice nurses with a relevant, rigorous and enjoyable training programme that is led by academic practising clinicians and focuses on the essential skills and knowledge you will need to ensure best practice for your patients. I believe that this is a unique programme that takes into account the needs of practice nurses new to general practice and for those who may have been working in general practice for a while and would find it helpful to complete a generic practice nurse training course. This course provides a foundation for understanding many of the complexities of working within general practice and the educational style and delivery is based upon the principles of self-directed learning, self and peer assessment, evidence-based healthcare and excellent communication within primary health care teams. This Course Handbook is designed to guide, inform and support you through all of the elements of the programme, so that your experience and learning during the course are optimised. The Blended Learning Programme (BLP) team is here to help and support you throughout the course duration and we hope that you enjoy this programme as you acquire new knowledge, skills and experience as well as network with others from a similar professional background.

Dr Michelle Drage Chief Executive Londonwide LMCs

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1. Welcome to the GPN Training Programme

Marking Board:

Londonwide Local Medical Committees (LMCs) is here to support and represent the 8000+ GPs and their practices in the capital. We are the professional voice of general practice in London and we strive to help all members of the practice team.

Tina Bishop, RGN, BSc, MA

Val McMunn, RN, MSc, RM, ADM, Cert Ed, Post Grad Diploma in Sexual Health

Gill Rogers, RGN, Programme Director

2. Programme Specification

Londonwide LMCs provides advice and guidance on a range of issues from contractual disputes to new policies and what they really mean for general practice. We are focused on ensuring that London’s GPs and their practices have access to the information and support they need to help them provide the best possible service to their patients. We frequently negotiate pan-London agreements that will save both practices and Primary Care Organisations (PCOs) time and confusion when it comes to implementation.

Conferment record information

2.1 Accrediting Body Middlesex University Programme title: General Practice Nurse Training Programme. We are proud to have achieved academic accreditation from Middlesex University for all the course components which include, the two taught days, mentor training and online units.

In March 2010, Londonwide LMCs launched the online GPN Training Programme. This programme is an essential resource for any nurse new to general practice, as well as a useful refresher course for nurses who have worked in general practice and would find rigorous generic practice nurse training useful. It provides introductory-level learning resources and self-assessment questionnaires across a range of topics, covering baseline skills for nursing in general practice. It represents the building blocks of an educational pathway to support a career in general practice nursing.

2.2 Admission Requirements Registered nurses will be accepted onto the course and must be able to demonstrate: yy That they are a registered nurse with a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) pin number yy That they are a practice nurse or a nurse who wishes to work in general practice

The programme originally started life as the brainchild of three practice nurses: Suzie Clements, Sue Crossman and Sue Cross. As GPNs themselves, they had experienced the gaps in the training available to nurses and have therefore used this understanding as the basis for the development of this programme, on behalf of Londonwide LMCs.

yy Essay-writing skills, including the ability to develop critical discussion yy An ability to reflect on personal practice yy Motivation to pursue a career in general practice

1.1 Course Team

yy That they have access to a mentor who is currently working in general practice as either a registered nurse or a GP

Programme Course Director: Gill Rogers, RN, BA, MSc, Director of General Practice Nursing, Londonwide LMCs

yy That they have access to email and can provide the programme administrator with a reliable email address, together with an alternative email address where possible. All course materials will be sent electronically

Programme Administrator: Kayleigh Cooper, Programme Administration Manager, Londonwide LMCs Course Tutors: Amanda Waite, RN, BSc (Hons) in Primary Health Nursing including Nurse Practitioner Benny Harston, RN, BSc (Hons) Nurse Practitioner

All applicants must declare any degree certificates, where the outcome was either refer or fail.

Caroline Mansfield, RN, BSc (Hons) Advanced Nurse Practitioner

2.3 Quality Management

Jacqui Hodgson, RGN, BSc (Hons) in Human Science, Post Grad Certificate (Teacher in Primary Care)

We endeavour to ensure that we deliver excellence and we maintain the on-going quality of the course through:

Juan Vazques-Diaz, RN, BSc (Hons) in European Nursing

yy A Course Committee that comprises experts in the field and includes a student representative yy Student feedback on their experience of all elements of the programme yy Annual reviews that ensure the programme remains up to date on all relevant issues

Tina Bishop, RGN, BSc, MA

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2.4 Course Outline and Rationale

yy Analyse the screening process in relation to nursing in general practice

This training programme is a generic practice nurse course suitable for practice nurses who are new to general practice or for existing practice nurses who wish to refresh their knowledge and skills. The course addresses:

yy Identify and critically evaluate the legal, ethical and professional issues and governance that relate to general practice

yy The principles of working in general practice as a nurse

3. Programme Structure

yy Work-based, self-directed learning

3.1 Introduction

yy Self and peer assessment for continuing professional development

This course aims to promote self-directed learning and face-to-face teaching as well as practice-based mentoring to develop a greater depth of understanding of general practice nursing.

yy The need to learn and apply evidence-based healthcare

The six-month programme allows students to learn, in part, through delivery of content and instruction online, combined with two face-to-face taught days. The faceto-face teaching totals up to 16 hours, but students should expect to spend considerably more time in applying the course concepts to their professional practice while working through the online component part of the programme.

yy The need to work and communicate effectively in inter-professional primary care teams This is a six-month training programme of selfdirected study that includes eight online units and two compulsory taught days. The programme delivers introductory-level learning resources and self-assessment units across a range of topics. It also provides the opportunity to network with fellow GPNs at two taught days led by experienced trainers and facilitators who work within general practice.

3.2 Course Expectations Collaborative learning and support are key features of the course, which require full participation and attendance to enhance reciprocal learning. Requirements of the course include:

Students are also required to maintain and complete the competency workbook. This workbook includes clinical activities frequently performed in general practice by competent GPNs.

yy Attendance of both taught days

2.5 Programme Aims

yy Completion of the competency document

This course aims to enable practice nurses to safely achieve relevant competencies and learn skills in order to meet the needs of their individual role by demonstrating an understanding and the learning of:

yy Summative assessment

yy The principles of working in general practice as a nurse yy Work-based, self-directed learning yy Self and peer assessment for continuing professional development

2.6 Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes are statements that describe essential learning that students will be expected to have achieved, and that students will be able to reliably demonstrate at the end of the programme.

yy A presentation on a chosen relevant topic

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yy Completion of all eight online modules Students will not normally be allowed to continue if they miss either of the two taught days, do not complete the online learning component, fail to do the presentation on taught day two or fail to complete assessments. In any of these circumstances the course fee is non-refundable and nontransferable.

3.3 Taught Days yy An important component of this programme is the two taught days. Students are required to have completed the first unit prior to attending the first taught day, where their module 1 assessment will be reviewed and discussed

By the end of this training programme the student will be able to: yy Demonstrate and evaluate adaptation and application of previously acquired knowledge and skills to provide nursing care in the general practice setting

yy To allow flexibility in meeting the needs of students, a review of the content of taught day one will inform the syllabus for taught day two

yy Critically discuss contemporary issues relating to the delivery of primary care services

yy Taught day two will take place approximately one month before the end of the course

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4. Teaching and Learning Strategies

yy Small and large group work will support the teaching and learning of the two taught days in order to integrate practical skills training and encourage reflective enquiry

We use a variety of learning methodologies and activities to help students achieve their learning outcomes.

3.4 Online Learning Online learning provides the opportunity for people to learn in their own time and at their own pace within the programme’s framework.

Students are encouraged to use the programme’s educational framework to think creatively about the topics they wish to work with. These topics should be negotiated with course tutors who will ensure that they are relevant.

yy There are eight modules of the online learning component of the course. The student is supported to progress through the modules while working with an appointed practice mentor

4.1 Maintaining a Learner-Centred Approach

yy Completion of all eight online modules is compulsory

A learner-centred approach is encouraged throughout the course. Examples of this include:

yy To support the online learning of the course, students are expected to undertake relevant reading - for example, journals, articles and books - and develop an understanding of the relationship between theory and practice in the professional workplace

yy Peer learning through facilitated small group work yy Critically evaluating primary care literature yy Relating theory to practice in work-based learning yy Applying reflective practice when considering performance as a professional, the broader context of primary care, and how theories of reflective practice relate to professional development

yy Learning reflections should be recorded in the student’s competency document

3.5 Competency Document

There is tension between a completely learner-centred approach and an approach based on a structured syllabus. This is the same tension experienced by teachers in primary care who are keen to facilitate the self-directed professional development of those they are teaching, yet who are aware of the very real and specific needs of patient services. The course leaders attempt to strike a balance, supporting the group in terms of the course aims and intended learning outcomes.

The competency document is a record of the learning that the student acquires throughout the course. A competency document can have many uses which include: yy Enabling a focus for both the student and mentor yy Self-assessment of progress yy A reference against progress for the student’s mentor and course tutor

4.2 Core Course Themes

yy Assessment for future professional development needs

The online modules include:

3.6 Assessments

1. Finding your Feet in General Practice

A range of assessment methods are used throughout this course. (See section 5)

2. General Treatment Room Skills

3.7 Practice Mentor

4. Immunisations

3. Emergency Situations 5. Long-Term Conditions

Mentorship is a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced person provides learning and supervision support to a less knowledgeable or experienced person. A practice mentor is expected to be responsible for facilitating learning, supervising and assessing students within the practice setting.

6. Sexual Health 7. Mental Health 8. Career Development Some core themes identified by previous cohorts of students include: yy Freedom to learn: partnership between mentor and student; trust; self-directed learning; learner centred approach

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These are two core areas that provide a sound starting point for developing group cohesion as well as being the first opportunity to demonstrate the distinction between skills training and education.

yy Situated learning: working and learning within the constraints of the organisation and the NHS yy Emergency situations yy Professional values and behaviours

4.6 Teamwork

yy Time management

There is an emphasis on peer-group support and inter-professional teamwork, which is as important in learning as it is in service delivery. Small group work is used to create a cooperative learning environment in which students can feel comfortable with challenge, constructive feedback and critical reflection.

yy Clinical assessment yy Health screening yy Skills learning yy Consultation skills yy Reflective practice yy Critical reading and evidence-based practice

4.7 Personal Tutoring

yy Working in teams

A personal tutor will be assigned to students during taught day one. The personal tutor will offer brief individual tutorials during the six-month training programme to give feedback on the student’s progress and to hear about their evaluation of the course. This will not be a face-to-face interaction; it will be via phone, Skype or email.

yy Working in difficult situations yy Managing development strategies yy IT skills yy Peer assessment

Each student will be encouraged to develop their own personal learning plan. This is to be developed by students to help them achieve their learning goals. Pastoral support will be provided as required. The personal tutor will also be available on an informal, ad hoc basis.

4.3 Student Support It is our aim to deliver excellence throughout this programme and, as a part of this, we support student access to: yy Personal tutors

4.8 Self-directed Learning

yy The personal tutors will be available to provide ongoing support throughout the programme

This course encourages self-directed learning. By combining self-direction with critical reflection on all aspects of course content, students are able, both individually and with their mentors, to explore the relationship between personal and professional development. These principles encourage life-long learning and help practitioners to respond creatively to changes in the healthcare environment.

yy Nurse mentors in practice yy There may be extenuating circumstances where students may not have a mentor in practice: please speak to your personal tutor or the course administrator about your options if this situation occurs yy IT and general information support yy IT support will be provided during office hours by contacting the programme administrator on info@ generalpractice.org.uk yy Peer support during the taught days

4.4 Learning Portfolio Students are strongly advised to maintain a learning portfolio, which will support them to reflect, document and evidence their learning and development. This written record will further enable student reflections to be used for discussion, to demonstrate progress, and to improve writing skills and will also be helpful in preparing for assignments.

4.5 Communication Effective communication, which is central to all work in primary care, and small group work, are explicitly advised by the course tutors.

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5. Assessment Method

5.1.3 Content yy Evaluation, adaptation and application of previously acquired knowledge and skills to provision of care in the general practice settin (20%)

Students will be assessed in a variety of ways which will include: yy Summative assessment (5.1) yy Competency document (5.2)

yy Critical discussion of issues relating to the delivery of the chosen topic within the general practice services (20%)

yy Presentation (5.3)

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yy Online modules We would particularly like to draw your attention to the sections on structure and assignments, as this will inform you about the processes and timing for submitting your assessments which is an essential component of the programme

yy Analysis of the screening processes in relation to nursing in general practice (20%) yy Identification and critical evaluation of the legal, ethical and professional issues and governance that relate to general practice (20%)

5.1 Summative Assessment (Written Assignment) Students are required to submit a written 4,000-word case study/essay analysing a local health project/ initiative and demonstrating that reflective learning has been applied to the outcomes. Please note that there is an allowance of minus or plus 10 per cent of the given word limit Details of the written assignment will be given on or before taught day one. Students should be able to: yy Discuss and analyse their chosen topic in relation to national and local policy yy Examine the legal and ethical issues around this subject particularly taking into account the NMC framework, national guidelines and local policies and procedures

5.1.1 Assessment criteria The assignment will be assessed using the criteria listed below. It is important that students ensure the criteria is clearly addressed in their essay, taking into consideration the percentage each criterion is worth of the overall mark and the grade-related criteria that are in the Course Handbook.

5.1.2 Structure and presentation yy Written assignments should be well presented and should follow a clear structure with an introduction, a logical and coherent development of written work forming the body of the essay (content), and a clearly presented conclusion (10%) yy There should be demonstrable reflection of the breadth and depth of reading, with accurate references and recognisable referencing systems (10%)

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The table below describes the evidence required for grading the work.

Class

Grade (%) Criteria

Description

Distinction

85-100

Work that demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of the subject area and addresses the learning outcomes/assessment criteria in full.

70-84

Outstanding

Very good

Merit

60-69

Good

Pass

40-59

Satisfactory

Fail

34-39

Poor

Where relevant, work will show evidence of independent reading, thinking and analysis. It will be well constructed and will demonstrate a professional approach to practice. It will be of a high standard. Work that demonstrates strong knowledge of the subject area and addresses the learning outcomes/assessment criteria well. Where relevant, it will show evidence of wide and comprehensive reading. It will be clearly written and will adhere to the principles of good practice. Work that demonstrates a sound level of knowledge of the subject area and makes a good attempt at addressing the learning outcomes/assessment criteria. Where relevant, there will be evidence of thorough research of the topic(s). It will be well structured and logically written and will demonstrate good practice. Work that demonstrates basic knowledge of the subject area and provides some level of response to the learning outcomes/ assessment criteria, but that only realises these outcomes and criteria to some extent and may not include important elements or information that is completely accurate. Where relevant, development of ideas is limited. Expression and structure will lack clarity and evidence of academic practice will be limited. Unsatisfactory work that demonstrates very limited knowledge of the subject area and does not succeed in grasping the key issues. Learning outcomes/assessment criteria will not be realised. There will be no real development of ideas and few sources will be used or used correctly. Presentation is confused or lacks coherence.

Assessments will take place in the last three months of the course. Learning portfolios and reflective journals written during the course will not be formally assessed, but students may use this content for their assignments.

5.2 Competency Document The student will complete the clinical competencies outlined in the competency workbook. The practice nurse mentor is required to sign and date the workbook in order to confirm that the student has achieved the clinical competencies in the practice setting. The competency document is a record of the student’s competence in the core clinical skills that are fundamental to the autonomous role of a GPN. We recommend that students include details of their initial self-assessment. This will provide a baseline from which students will be able to record their progress. Students will need to record the method used to measure their competence. A range of evidence methods can be used, including direct observation, video analysis and critique, reflective writing, interview, discussion, specific case analysis, feedback from patients and colleagues, and other appropriate materials and sources. Students will be supported in maintaining their competency document by their personal tutors. The competency document will be reviewed by the course tutors at taught day two; all essential competency areas should be completed by that time. The student’s mentor will be required to provide a feedback statement for the course tutors.

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5.3 Presentation On taught day one, students will be given details of a five-minute presentation that they are required to deliver to their peers and course tutors on taught day two. To support self-directed learning, students will be encouraged to select a topic they are unfamiliar with at taught day one. Students are expected to present the information on their chosen subject for no longer than five minutes. Following the presentation, peers will be encouraged to ask questions. Students should consider the method they will use to present this work. Past examples of presentations have included the use of PowerPoint and handouts. Examples of suggested topics may include: yy Anaemia yy Diabetic foot check yy Inhaler technique yy B12 injections yy Blood test yy Blood Pressure monitoring The presentation is not formally marked, but the student will be given feedback and reflection from other students.

6. Managing the Assessment Process 6.1 Presentation of Assignments Students are required to submit two paper copies of their written assignment as well as emailing a PDF of the assignment to [email protected] All written assignments must have a title page that includes: yy Course name yy Course number yy Module code yy Student number (please note that the student name is NOT required) yy Title of the assessment yy Total number of pages yy Word count

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Assignments must be stapled in the top left hand corner and be must submitted without folders or plastic wallets

Submission deadlines for the written assignment are as follows:

Course number Module code

GPNLondon1

Deadline date

Time

Send to Programme Administrator

GPN1

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Student contact details

6.4 Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework

6.1.1 Style guide When submitting written assignments, please ensure the following rules are applied:

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yy Double line spacing yy Header with student number yy Footer with page numbers yy Proof read for spelling, grammar and punctuation yy No abbreviations. For example, BMJ should be written as British Medical Journal yy Word count should exclude references, appendices, tables and diagrams

Late work and any claim of mitigating circumstances relating to coursework must be submitted at the earliest opportunity to ensure as far as possible that the work can still be marked. Late work will not normally be accepted if it is received more than five working days after the original coursework deadline, no matter what mitigating circumstances there may be. Once the work of other students has been marked, late submissions of that same piece of work cannot be assessed.

Please refer to further guidance on referencing (See section 9, page 17)

6.2 Submitting Assignments Students are required to submit their written assignments by recorded delivery to:

6.5 Action in the Case of Failure (or Referral)

Course Administrator Londonwide LMCs Tavistock House South Tavistock Square London WC1H 9LG It is the student’s responsibility to ensure a mailed assignment arrives on time. Delay in delivery will not be considered grounds for mitigating circumstances. Students are required to submit the electronic assignment to: [email protected] An electronic receipt will be sent as soon as possible after the work arrives. It is advised to retain this receipt until after the publication of results.

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Students are advised to keep a full copy of each assignment they submit. Under no circumstances are academic staff allowed to accept an assignment directly from the student.

6.3 Marking of Assignments Assignments are marked by a team of examiners at Londonwide LMCs office. For quality assurance, examiners will undertake standardisation exercises and any borderline candidates will have their papers marked by a minimum of two examiners.

If students submit their coursework after the specified deadline, unless they have had an extension agreed, they will be given a mark of ‘zero’ for the work in question. In this case, students’ work will be counted as a referral and they may subsequently be invited to resubmit the assignment. (See section 6.5).

Should a student have their assignment referred, they may be offered the opportunity to resubmit their assignment for reassessment within a year of completing the course. The work will be reassessed with assignments from a subsequent cohort of students. Results will be made available at the same time as that cohort’s results. Students will be instructed to submit a new assignment rather than redo the previous assignment. If students fail an assignment more than once, they will be required to retake the whole course, including assignments, in order to obtain their certificate.

6.6 Assessment Boards and the Release of Results The Assessment Board will consist of the University Representative, the Programme Leader, a course tutor and an external examiner. The Board meets three times a year. All assessment grades, suggested referral opportunities, recommendations for conferment of an award, or exclusions from a course will be formally ratified by the Assessment Board. Any marks or grades released prior to the meeting of the Assessment Board have the status of a provisional mark or grade. Such provisional results are normally released within a few weeks of completing the assignments, but note that these are subject to review and may be changed by the external examiner.

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6.7 Course Results

6.12 Exclusion from a Programme of Study on Academic Grounds

Results are normally released within a few weeks following the completion of assignments. However: it must be stressed that the results may be subject to revision should they be reviewed by an external examiner.

In certain circumstances, a student may be excluded from their course on academic grounds.

7. Study Skills

6.8 Feedback on Assessments

7.1 Effective Reading

The teaching team believe it is good educational practice to offer feedback on all assignments; however, not all candidates will want feedback other than the marks and grades awarded. Students will therefore be invited to let their personal tutor know whether they would like feedback or not when the provisional marks are released.

Reading is an active process demanding concentration and the use of a variety of skills and techniques. These include slow reading, speed reading, skim reading (picking out key words), scanning (looking for headings and subheadings, first lines of paragraphs, etc.), and reading that requires a high level of concentration. Critical review of all reading material should be applied.

Tutors will also be willing to discuss the feedback if further clarification is required. If a student decides that they do not want feedback at the time of release of results, but subsequently decides that having feedback would be helpful - for example because of deciding to progress to a further award - contact should be made with the personal tutor.

7.1.1 What are the benefits of effective reading? Effective reading enables: yy Retention of information and the ability to recall it when required

6.9 Final Results

yy Selection of important points from the material that is being read

Final marks and grades will be available after students’ work has been moderated by the external examiner and ratification has been agreed.

yy Interpretation of information and ideas

An examination transcript will be posted to each student.

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yy Making deductions from what has been read yy Arrival at general conclusions and judgements

Changes of address or contact details must be reported to the administrative staff to ensure there is no delay in students receiving results.

yy Application of knowledge to experience A useful approach to reading for the course is to summarise, critically review and apply what has been read. Summarise: Write a brief description (a summary) of the author’s main points and themes.

6.10 External Examiners Quality assurance requires the appointment of an external examiner. Results cannot be formally published to students unless the external examiner has confirmed the grades. External examiners also attest that assessment regulations have been fairly applied, ensuring parity of judgement for all students.

Critical review: Review or assess the main points and write an analysis (a critique) of these. In this way, you will see the inter-connectedness of the various aspects of what you are reading. Application: Relate (apply) what you are reading to your own practice or personal experience.

6.11 Published Reports Summaries of external examiner reports are now published online at www.tqu.ac.uk as part of the Teaching Quality Information required by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). These summary reports confirm whether a university’s policies and procedures for external examining and its assessment processes are effective and appropriate, and whether they have been followed. External examiners also confirm whether the standards set for a particular course are comparable with courses in other UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

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7.2 Academic Key Words When given assignments to complete as part of the course, students are likely to encounter some of the following key words. These words indicate the approach or style expected for the piece of writing:

Account for

Give reasons for; explain why something happens

Analyse

Examine in very close detail; identify important points and chief features

Comment on

Identify and write about the main issues, giving your reactions based upon what has been read or your personal experience as a learner, teacher or practitioner

Compare

Show how two or more things are similar. Indicate the relevance or consequences of these similarities

Contrast

Set two or more items or arguments in opposition so as to draw out differences. Indicate whether the differences are significant. If appropriate, give reasons why one argument may be preferable

Critically evaluate

Weigh arguments for and against, assessing the strength of the evidence on both sides. Use criteria to guide assessment of which opinions, theories, and models are preferable

Define

Give the exact meaning of. Where relevant, demonstrate understanding of why the definition may be problematic

Describe

Give the main characteristics or features, or outline main events

Discuss

Write about the most important aspects of (including critical review); give arguments for and against; consider the implications of

Distinguish

Bring out the difference between two (possibly contradicting) items

Evaluate

Assess the worth, importance or usefulness of something using evidence. There will most likely be cases to be made both for and against

Examine

Put the subject ‘under the microscope’, looking at it in detail. If appropriate, critically evaluate it as well

Explain

Make clear why something happens. Or why something is the way it is

Illustrate

Make something clear and explicit, giving examples or evidence

Interpret

Give the meaning and relevance of data or other material presented

Justify

Give evidence which supports an argument or idea. Show why a decision or conclusion was made; consider objections that others may make

Narrate

Concentrate on saying what happened, telling it as a story

Outline

Give only the main points, showing the main structure

Relate

Show similarities and connections between two or more things

State

Give the main features in very clear English (almost like a list but written in full sentences)

Summarise

Draw out the main points (see outline above), omitting details or examples

To what extent

Consider how far something is true, or contributes to a final outcome. Also consider ways in which the proposition is not true (the answer is usually somewhere between ‘completely’ and ‘not at all’)

Trace

Follow the order of different stages in an event or process

Table: University of Westminster, Postgraduate Certificate for Teachers in Primary Care

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7.3 Grammar and Sentence Construction

9.2 Referencing

At this level, we expect students’ spelling and grammar to be accurate and their sentence construction to be coherent and fluent. If students need to brush up on these areas, there are several books available to help. Students may also wish to discuss with their tutor whether it would be useful for them to submit an additional practice essay, which would be helpful in developing their writing skills and techniques.

Reference to the source must be acknowledged within the text of an essay, report or other type of assignment whenever students are: yy Quoting the exact words of an author yy Closely summarising a passage by another writer

All written assignments that students submit for assessment have to be word processed. While the wordprocessing software’s grammar and spell checkers are helpful in correcting most mistakes, students should ensure that American spellings are not being inserted and that the alteration makes sense.

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We strongly advise that students refer to a dictionary while reading and writing.

8. Access to Educational Literature In order to make effective use of students’ time, it is important for students to have access to books, journals and articles about the subject they are learning. We recommend that students plan carefully to ensure that the required amount of reading can take place.

yy Using an idea or material (even if it is presented in their own words) that is directly based on the work of another individual The reference convention to be used on this course is the Harvard system. http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/ The important issues are that there is congruence across the course and that students comply consistently with the ‘style’ requested. This is part of the academic discipline, and non-compliance will lead to lower marks being awarded for an assignment. It is important, whenever you cite others, to make sufficient information available to allow readers to refer to such work for themselves. Referencing according to McGee and Notter (1995:143-146), enables readers/markers to: yy Identify all the sources of literature that have been used yy Assess whether appropriate use of literature has been made to present a reasoned logical argument in which various pieces of information have been used to illustrate and explain the subject under discussion

Suggestions: yy Visit the local Postgraduate Centre library yy Arrange an Athens account to allow access to healthcare journals and articles. yy Explore Postgraduate Centre links with local universities to receive automatic access to relevant educational journals yy Investigate what books are available in the work place

9.1 Making Sense of Referencing The purpose of this section is to assist students with referencing. The list of examples given is not exhaustive and students should address any queries with the course tutor.

yy The work has influenced their own thinking yy The work agrees with their point of view yy The work disagrees with their point of view

yy Locate and follow up references of interest

9.3 Referring to Publications Within the Text of your Essay The Harvard system requires that, at every point in the text where reference is made to a book, article or other source, the name of the author and the year of publication are inserted.

9. Referencing Conventions

In written assignments, students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and critical thought. In doing so, students will also be expected to offer support/ evidence for the views they express. Students may refer to another person’s work for several reasons, including:

yy Check the origin and accuracy of sources

The University’s guidelines on plagiarism require students to indicate relevant page numbers in the text where a paraphrased summary or quote of the author’s ideas is used; e.g. (McGee & Notter 1995:143-146,195202). Full details are then given in an alphabetical reference list at the end of the essay or dissertation; e.g. McGee P, Notter J. (1995) Research Appreciation. Salisbury: Quay Books. Where the author’s name occurs naturally in the text to express a viewpoint that is specific to that author, the year and page number should be put in brackets; e.g. Smith (1992:103) has remarked on the dangers of leaning out of windows... If an author and particular text is used more than once in a paragraph it is not necessary to put the year each

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time, but the page number must be included; e.g. Smith (1992:103) has remarked on the dangers of leaning out of windows… Smith further went on to give statistics on lost working days as a result of this (157). When a less direct reference is made to one or more authors, the name(s) and date(s) should be bracketed (but page numbers do not have to be included), with each reference separated by a semi-colon. These should be put in date order, with the oldest article first; e.g. several authors have noticed this trend (Cook 1981; Smith 1984; White 1992). For a work of dual authorship both surnames should be identified; e.g. Clark and Jones (1993) did not agree with the concept of holism...

Whole body lying is difficult for most of us because we lack practice. In our day-today living we are only rarely called upon to indulge in bouts of sustained, deliberate deceit. We may deceive ourselves but that is another matter (1977: 107).

It is much better academic practice to access the primary author’s work and develop your own opinion. If an original text is very difficult to access and a secondhand opinion is available, then the secondary author’s name and date of publication should be used.

If an author has two or more references published in the same year, add lower case letters after the date to distinguish them; e.g. Smith (1994a) was initially in favour of... but several studies show that margarine tastes like butter (Brown 1978a; Brown 1978b). The date of publication used should be the publication date of the source to which you have referred, and not a reprint date. If you are directly quoting from a text, the wording must be accurate and the quote should be put inside single quotation marks and the appropriate page number given; e.g. ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife’ (Austen 1972:1).

Quotations are often difficult to integrate into the developing discussion and can detract from the demonstration of personal and, perhaps, original thoughts. As a general principle, use quotations only when they uniquely capture the essence of what is being conveyed.

Quotations of over 40 words should be indented and no quotation marks used. Quotes should still be referenced with page numbers; e.g. Desmond Morris maintains that:

Students may want to cite an author (secondary) who is mentioned by another author (primary). This is known as secondary referencing. This type of referencing should be used sparingly because you would be referring to the primary author’s view of the secondary author’s material, thus making your opinion third hand.

For work with more than two authors, only use the first named author followed by the words ‘et al’ when referring to the article in the text of your essay; e.g. Jones et al. (1988) thought the moon was made of cheese...

It is advisable not to use too many quotes, as they can disrupt the flow of the text.

anything in reply to them and yet ought to point to something’ (Wittgenstein 1958: 45).

However, the full reference of the book/journal that carried the original source will be cited in the reference list and that title underlined: McClone M.E. (1990) Healing the Spirit. Holistic Nursing Practice. 4(4), 77-84. In Wender M.C. (1996) Understanding Healing: a conceptual analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing 24, 836-842.

9.4 Collating your References The reference section of the assignment is a record of specific books or articles that have been used as sources or from which you have quoted. It is recommended that you do not have a separate bibliography unless it is specifically asked for in the assignment (a bibliography is a list of published works which have informed your knowledge but which you have not referenced). You must reference specifically in order to demonstrate academic credibility. The section should be headed: ‘References’.

Use single quotation marks for quoted material within the text; e.g. Indeed the popular press has picked up the enthusiasm of nurses for aromatherapy, but as a means of disguising ‘familiar hospital smells’ (Prentice 1989: 54).

References should be listed in alphabetical order, sorted by the first author’s surname. There should not be separate sections for books, journals, etc. The content and format of the reference list should conform to the examples below.

One contemporary text lists such diverse entities as nephritis, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, pyelonephritis, and rheumatic heart disease under the diagnostic pattern of ‘disharmony between heart and liver’ (Huang 1993: 79).

Please note: yy Either leave a line between each reference or indent secondary lines yy The title of the book or journal is underlined not the title of the chapter or article

Double quotation marks should only be used for direct speech and quotes within quotes; e.g. Wittgenstein raised the problem of ostensive definition in a memorable way in the Blue and Brown Books: ‘The questions “What is length?”, “What is meaning?” etc. produce in us mental cramp. We feel we can’t do

yy Page numbers showing both beginning and ending pages are required for articles in e-readers, journals, and magazines but not for books

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yy Where relevant, note the translator, place and date of the first publication of the book yy Where a specific edition has been used, indicate its date and edition number even if it is not the latest edition yy The original date of a reprinted article or book should be noted yy Sources should only be listed once, regardless of how often the work has been referred to yy Formatting should be consistent throughout the list

9.4.1 Books Brown B. (1994a) My Friends the Owls. London: Aviary Press. Brown B. (1994b) My Friends the Doves. London: Aviary Press.

9.4.2 Multiple authors Simmons S. & Brooker C. (1986) Community Psychiatric Nursing: A Social Perspective. London: Heinemann.

9.4.3 Edited book Fairbairn S. A & Fairbairn G. J. (eds.) (1987) Psychology, Ethics and Change. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

9.4.4 Chapter in an edited volume Smith A. (1985) The impact of fertilisers on birds. In Green K. (ed.) Birds of the Fields and Hedgerows. Oxford: Blackwell Books.

9.4.5 Journal article Brown B. (1994) The Owl in Ancient Egypt. British Journal of Owl Behaviour, 27 (1), 39-43.

9.4.6 Theses Winch C. A. (1981) The Theory of Restricted and Elaborated Codes: A philosophical description and evaluation of the sociolinguistic thesis of Basil Bernstein. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Bradford.

9.4.9 Report DHSS (1983) NHS Management Inquiry (Griffiths Report). London: HMSO. NHS Management Executive (1993) New World, New Opportunities. London, HMSO

9.4.10 Lecture notes References to spoken information are not accepted. However, at undergraduate level you may reference unpublished lecture notes. Brown J. (1996) Lecture on the history of interprofessional education. May 5th. University of Westminster, MSc Inter-professional Practice.

9.4.11 Radio or TV programme The Training Hour: No more Nightingales: Episode 1. Quiet Revolution. (1991) TV, BBC. 16th October. 1100hrs.

9.4.12 Internet Referencing The method used for citing references from the Internet is similar to established systems. The writer’s name, the year of publication and title of the work are shown, but the Internet material has no ‘conventional’ publisher. In place of this, the site uniform resource locator (URL) is used. This is the ‘address’ at which the source material was found: Howe J (1998) European Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Advice for HIV Positive Travellers. http: // www.uwcm.ac.uk/ns/EANAC/ (Accessed April 2008) The URL must be accurate and many are case sensitive, which means they recognise the difference between capital and small letters. If the URL is even slightly wrong, the reader will not be able to access the work cited. It is important to include the date on which the site was last accessed as website material can change frequently. N.B. Treat source material from the internet with caution because anyone with the right technology can put almost anything on the internet and not all material published on the internet has been reviewed.

9.4.7 Translated text Jaspers K. (1983) General Human Resource Management. (7th ed.), trans. Hoenig J, & Hamilton M. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Hahnemann S. (1921) Organon of Medicine. (6th ed.), trans. Boericke W., New Delhi: Jain, B.

9.4.8 Article in a newspaper Barber L. (1993) The Towering Bureaucracy, Financial Times, 21 June, 5.

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10. Course Committee and Student Feedback

yy Urgent practical problems are to be raised with the course leader in-between Course Committee meetings, rather than being delayed yy Issues raised at the meetings and decisions taken are recorded on an ‘action list’, and draft minutes or notes should be approved by the Chair and posted on the course webpage within three weeks of the meeting. The list of actions is reported back to the next meeting as ‘matters arising’

The Course Committee is the forum for students and staff to present their views on the operation and development of the course. As a formal Committee within the University’s Committee structure, the Course Committee provides an important mechanism for the collection and consideration of student feedback. The Terms of Reference and Course Committee composition are set out below.

10.4 Website

10.1 Terms of Reference

An online forum is available for access by all students to encourage participation in communication and peer support. www.generalpracticenurse.org.uk.

The Course Committee has responsibility for considering the effective management of the course, including enhancement of provision. The remit of the Course Committee covers:

11. Academic Coherence and Course Management

yy Academic welfare of students and, specifically, the course induction and the personal tutor system

The course tutors, together with the liaison tutor from Middlesex University, are responsible for maintaining academic coherence in the programme. This provides assurance that:

yy Student feedback/comment on course operation, curriculum content, teaching, study skills, support, assessment, facilities, library and computing support, and administrative support

yy Learning outcomes are met yy The evolving curriculum is mapped out based on continuing assessment of students’ needs

yy Monitoring information/comment on previous years’ course audits, operation of course academic standards, - i.e. the Course Leader’s annual report plus ‘progress statistics’ of students enrolled progressing, graduating (and withdrawing); and summaries of external examiners’ reports

yy The tasks for work-based learning are set appropriately

11.1 Course Management The course tutors are collectively responsible for the overall management of the course and the development of the course curriculum.

yy Consultation on proposed changes to content, assessment and/or course structure

10.2 Course Committee Composition

11.2 Maximum Period of Registration

yy Student Representative Role – this role will be elected by the student group on taught day one. The role is to liaise with the course organisers on matters that affect the student group and on behalf of the student group. The role is not intended to advise or direct other students on the programme. If there are matters that are troubling the students, they should contact the Programme’s Project Manager on [email protected].

In order to qualify for the award, a student must normally complete their programme of study within the maximum period of registration, which is within one year.

12. Unforeseen Problems 12.1 Extension of Deadline due to Mitigating Circumstances

yy One elected student representative yy Middlesex University liaison tutor yy Representatives from the course leaders

10.3 Making the Most of the Course Committee yy Meetings are held twice during the course yy A ‘secretary’ is appointed at the first meeting yy Concerns raised at the Course Committee meetings should be reasonably representative of the student and/or staff group and not just of a minority

If illness or some unforeseen circumstance occurs that significantly affects a student’s performance, they can submit an application for an Extension of Deadline (EoD) for assessment submission. Students should submit an application in writing (using the EoD form) to the course administrator, supported by any original documentary evidence (e.g. a medical certificate), at the earliest available opportunity. It is in the student’s best interest to submit their EoD claim form as quickly as possible (normally within one month of the circumstance occurring). This will enable better planning of the course for the student.

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If an EoD claim is submitted, the student should not assume that it is necessarily going to be accepted; it is the individual’s responsibility to make sure that they complete all assessment requirements in a module as far as possible. Each submission will be looked at on an individual case-by-case basis.

material, including any material downloaded from the Internet. Plagiarism covers both direct copying and copying or paraphrasing with only minor adjustments. yy A direct quotation from a text must be indicated by the use of quotation marks and the source of the quote (author, year of publication: page number)

If the student is unhappy with the outcome of the EoD decision they will be able to appeal in writing to the course director within 14 working days of the decision.

yy A paraphrased summary must be indicated by attribution of the author, date and source of the material, including page numbers for the section(s) that have been summarised

13. Cheating and Plagiarism Cheating and/or plagiarism is considered to be deception and a gaining of unfair advantage over other students. This unethical behaviour threatens the integrity of the assessment procedures and the value of the University’s awards. If a student is found to have plagiarised or cheated throughout coursework assignments, they will be subject to formal investigation and may be reported to the appropriate professional body (e.g. the NMC). It is the responsibility of students to ensure that they are not vulnerable to any allegation of having breached the assessment regulations. It is good practice to ensure that while marking and grading assessments student’s work will be compared to:

N.B. An essay or report cannot consist merely of summaries of other people’s ideas and texts. Students must demonstrate their own critical engagement with, and evaluation of, the material they are presenting or discussing. The Academic Writing Centre has published an on-line guide to aid students. For further details, refer to www. wmin.ac.uk/awc.

14. Working Together 14.1 Collusion or Collaboration

yy Other students’ work yy All assignments submitted by all previous cohorts

Discussing ideas is part of academic life, and students are allowed to exchange sources and references. However, they must recognise the distinction between sharing ideas and collusion. This means that students must not work with others to the extent of exchanging written materials they have prepared, such as notes or drafts of assignments. If these types of materials are shared, this will be regarded as an assessment offence for the person who lends the material as well as for the person who uses it.

yy Material available on the Internet yy Material submitted by students on similar courses at other universities yy Relevant published books and articles

13.1 Examples of Plagiarism Typical breaches are described below. Plagiarism is defined as submission for assessment of material (written, visual or oral) originally produced by another person or persons, without acknowledgement, in such a way that the work could be assumed to be the student’s own. Plagiarism may involve the unattributed use of another person’s work, ideas, opinions, theories, facts, statistics, graphs, models, paintings, performance, computer code, drawings, quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words, or paraphrases of another person’s spoken or written words.

Work must be regarded as a student’s own property and it should be protected. If students are using a computer in a shared space, they are advised to log off from the computer they are working on whenever a break is taken so that others cannot access or copy their work. Care should be taken to destroy printed drafts or copies of work, rather than just discarding them. Student’s work should not be handed to others on any kind of drive. If there is a group assignment, students should be sure to understand the allocation of responsibilities between the group’s members.

To avoid accidental plagiarism, students must keep a careful record of all the sources used, including all Internet material (e.g. books, articles, interviews, reports, website references, or government publications) Students should refer to the reference guide on page 17. It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure that they understand correct referencing practices. Please consult the relevant course tutor if any further advice is needed. Students are expected to use appropriate references and keep carefully detailed notes of all sources of

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15. Equal Opportunities 15.1 General Principles All investigations and assignments must be carried out with due regard to the highest ethical standards; the prime purposes must be to do good, to avoid harm, to respect autonomy, and to be just and fair.

15.2 Equal Opportunities The course team strives for equality of opportunity in their teaching, writing and research. They make every effort to ensure that students receive fair and favourable treatment, irrespective of gender, age, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, disability, marital status, or political or religious beliefs. We believe that all individuals should be treated: yy With dignity and respect yy With support and encouragement yy Without dominance by any single culture

15.3 Development Plan In order to further this aim we will: yy Annually monitor recruitment, progression and award, and disclose statistics in terms of age, gender, ethnic origin and disability to both rectify any issues that may have arisen and inform future education provision yy Periodically review programme materials to ensure that anti-oppressive practice is permeated throughout the programme and that different cultural views are valued and respected yy Seek specific feedback from students at each Course Committee meeting, and candidates (where practicable) after each recruitment round, about the fairness of the treatment they receive from course staff yy Periodically review the learning support and teaching methods adopted in the course to ensure that students are provided with the most appropriate resources available. The course staff will carry out the agreed actions arising from the monitoring exercises, programme reviews and student feedback.

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Appendix A: Glossary of Commonly Used Terms Attempt For the purpose of counting the number of credits attempted, for an award, to have ‘attempted’ a module means to have registered for a module and completed, with attendance, the assessment requirements as defined in the module specification. Critically, if a student decides to withdraw from a module on their course but does not complete the necessary notification forms by the due date they will be deemed to have failed the module: i.e. to have used up one ‘attempt’ and, thus, the associated modular credits. Therefore, particular care should be taken to ensure that a Change of Module Registration form is completed before the end of the first week of teaching in the semester, and/or that written notification of withdrawal from the course is provided before the Assessment Board meets to consider the results of the module for that semester. Deferral This term is used on student transcripts and profiles to indicate that a student has been granted permission for a late assessment (or, in some cases, a further assessment) by a given date (this will usually be as a result of a successful outcome of a student’s mitigating circumstances submission). In the case of a deferred assessment, the student will be awarded the actual mark achieved (i.e. there is no penalty and the mark is not capped).

A reassessment does not count as a further separate attempt for the regulations governing the maximum number of credits that can be attempted. External transcript An external transcript is issued upon completion of a course and is the University’s formal record of achievement of modules passed, marks, and total number of credits awarded to a student. It also confirms the level, title and classification of the final award. Students can request an external transcript either to give to an employer or admissions tutor for a programme of further study, or for a research degree application for the purposes of credit.

Reassessment/Referral If a student fails to achieve an overall pass in a module and/or a satisfactory standard in any part of the module, the Assessment Board may decide, at its discretion, to allow the student to be reassessed (to resubmit coursework) in accordance with the threshold in the module-specific regulations. Any student who is offered reassessment but who does not take up the offer will retain the fail mark originally recorded for the module. The overall mark for any module successfully completed following reassessment/referral (resit) will be capped at the pass mark (40 per cent) irrespective of the actual mark the student achieves.

Differences between reassessment and reattempt A student being reassessed in a referred module would not normally need to repeat components of the assessment for the module that had already been passed. A student re-attempting a module must complete the full assessment requirements, irrespective of marks achieved at the first attempt in individual components of the assessment. A student being reassessed in a referred module would be required to undertake the assessment but would not have to pay the module fee again. A student reattempting a module would have to repeat the module with attendance and would have to pay the full module fee again.

Pass The overall pass mark for the course is 40 per cent. The course specifies a minimum level of achievement in the assessed element within the module. This will be stated in the module syllabus and/or award-specific regulations, and students should be notified of these requirements in writing within two weeks of the start of the module. This module includes a written assignment. The validated Course Handbook and the detailed module guidance must specify the mode of assessment for each module and the weighting of these elements.

Re-attempt (retake) Where a student has failed, the Assessment Board may permit the student to reattempt the module. Reattempting a module means to study the module again with course attendance. The student must re-register for the module and must complete all assessments (e.g. all coursework, practicals, in-class tests, critical reviews of studio work, examinations or other forms of assessment requirements). This applies regardless of the marks the student achieved in any element of assessment at the first attempt. The actual marks awarded in a second attempt will be capped at the pass mark (40 per cent) irrespective of the actual marks achieved. Modules may be attempted only twice (i.e. a first attempt and a subsequent re-attempt). At the discretion of the Assessment Board, a student may be offered the opportunity to be reassessed once only on each occasion that they attempt the module, provided that they have achieved an overall module mark of at least 35 per cent initially. Refer This term is used on student transcripts and profiles to indicate that the Assessment Board has agreed to offer the student the opportunity to be reassessed (to resit) a module (see ‘reassessment’ above). Students are reminded that when they are reassessed in a module or any part of a module, the overall mark will be capped at the pass mark (40 per cent) regardless of the actual mark they achieve.

Fail If the overall module mark is less than 40 per cent the module has been failed (even if some elements of the assessment reached or exceeded the pass mark).

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Appendix B: Administrative Staff Contact Details Course Administrator: [email protected]

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Appendix C: 2015 and 2016 Course Dates GPN Taught Day 1 Cohort 3 Date: Friday 6th November 2015 GPN Taught Day 2 Cohort 3 Date: Friday 26th February 2016 GPN Taught Day 1 Cohort 1 Date: Friday 4th March 2016 GPN Taught Day 2 Cohort 1 Date: Friday 23rd September 2016 For the latest taught day dates please look at the website, www.generalpracticenurse.org.uk

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Appendix D: GPN/HCA Mentor Guidance This is intended as a guide for mentors in General Practice mentoring General Practice nurses/healthcare assistants on the online training programmes. GPN/HCA Mentor Role yy Mentors are required to take on the one-to-one general practice support of a student yy Mentors will be required to have a mentorship update within the last 12 months yy The mentors may also attend Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited workshops GPN/HCA Educator Criteria Ideal criteria to be a GPN/HCA mentor are: yy Able to demonstrate completion of a Mentoring module, or willingness to work towards one, in order to become a NMC registered mentor yy Able to demonstrate commitment to professional and clinical excellence yy Able to provide evidence of commitment to ongoing professional development relevant to General Practice Nursing yy Excellent interpersonal skills yy Mentors must be able to demonstrate: yy The ability to work with inter-disciplinary teams as well as across organisational boundaries yy Willingness to be flexible and responsive in line with the demands of the role and responsibilities aligned to the programme yy A creative, autonomous and proactive approach to solving problems Desirable Criteria yy Hold an NMC recordable teaching qualification yy Experience of coaching/supporting nurses new to General Practice yy Awareness of current contemporary issues relating to General Practice and Primary Care yy An interest in developing and delivering group sessions

Londonwide LMCs May 2016.

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Appendix E: Taught Day Programmes General Practice Nurse Programme for Taught Day 1 9.30

Welcome

9.40

Introduction The role of Londonwide Local Medical Committees

10.00

The Accredited Programme yy Course Handbook yy Course Committee yy Appointing a Course Representative yy How to undertake the training programme yy Overview of clinical units yy Summative Assignment yy Formative Assessments – Competency Document, presentation, online learning and Taught Days yy The benefits to the GPN and Practice yy Networking yy Using the online forum yy Expectations and day 2 tutorials

11.00

Introduction to Consultations

11.30

Ear Examination

12.00

Long Term Conditions: Recognition and Management of Acute Asthma Including Peak Flow Meter Technique

12.30

Lunch

13.00

Sexual Health Introduction to Contraception

13.45

Health Promotion

14.30

Case Studies – group work Examples of clinical presentations in General Practice

16.00

Taught Day 2 Presentation Instructions

16.30

Electing a Course Representative Sharing Emails Booking Personal Course Tutor Time

16.45

Reflection of the Day

17.00

Finish

Created: July 2015 Review Date: July 2016

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General Practice Nurse Programme for Taught Day 2 08:30

Personal Course Tutor Time

09.30

Welcome & How are you doing?

10.00

Presentations

12.30

Lunch

13.00

Helpful Skill in General Practice Negotiations Skills Career Development Changes

14.00

Professional Issues Accountability Indemnity Legal Issues Delegation

15.30

Tea Break

15.45

Practical Consultation Skills

16.30

Next Steps

17.00

Finish / Personal Course Tutor Time

Created: July 2015 Review Date: July 2016

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Appendix F: Extension of Deadline Request Form Extension of Deadline (EoD) request forms can be completed by students who due to unforeseen mitigating circumstances cannot complete their assignment within the given deadline. It is in the student’s best interest to inform the Course Administrator as soon as they are aware of an issue. Please complete all sections of this form, giving as much detail as possible and providing evidence where necessary. The form needs to be returned to the Course Administrator on: FAO Course Administrator Londonwide LMCs Tavistock House South Tavistock Square London WC1H 9LG Or emailed to: [email protected]

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Extension of Deadline (EoD) Request Form Student Name: Student Surname: Student Number: Date:

Signature:

Reasons for extension of deadline:

Evidence provided:

Please note that students should not expect the extension of deadline to be granted and will be at the discretion of Londonwide LMCs programme director. Students will hear from a member of the team about the status of the EOD within 2 weeks of receiving the request.

For office use only: Date received: Decision reached:

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Notes

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Londonwide Local Medical Committees & Londonwide Enterprise Limited Tavistock House North, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX Telephone: 020 7387 2034 // Fax: 020 7387 7442 // Email: [email protected] www.lmc.org.uk

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