Practice Supervision and Assessment in Nursing, Health and Social Care

This is an essential guide for all health and social work practitioners supporting an increasing number of learners, trainees, apprentices and pre-registration students engaging in practice-based and work-based learning. Applying educational learning theory to underpin the role and practice of the contemporary practice supervisor, assessor and educator, this accessible book presents strategies for practice learning and personal development.

Acknowledging the problematic nature of learning within the workplace, the authors place the lived experience of the learner at the heart of this text and emphasise the critical importance of an expansive and compassionate learning environment for all. The book includes chapters on the context of practice learning, the role of the supervisor/assessor and educator, learning environments, coaching, assessment and supporting the learner in difficulty, among others. It also spotlights practice learning in a range of settings, from working with children, through social care and maternity care. Each chapter includes learning outcomes and activities, as well as a chapter summary.

Designed for nurses, midwives, social workers, therapists and operating department practitioners who support learners in the workplace, this text is particularly relevant to registrants completing practice supervisor/assessor/educator preparation and pre-registration students taking modules on supporting learning.

1. Introduction

2. The Landscape of Practice Learning

3. The Role of the Practice Supervisor

4. Learning Environments

5. Coaching

6. Practice Assessment

7. Giving Effective Feedback

8. Supporting the Learner in Difficulty

9. The Landscape of Compassionate Learning

10. Practice Supervision in the Statutory and Social Care Sector

11. Practice Supervision in Children and Young People Settings

12. Practice Supervision in the Maternity Setting

13. Practice Supervision in the Perioperative Setting

14. Practice Supervision in Adult Care

15. Practice Supervision in Mental Health Settings

16. Managing Students with Reasonable Adjustments

17. Learning with Alternate Learning Experiences

18. Transitioning to Practice Assessor/Educator

Dr Mark Wareing (editor) completed his nurse training at the Birmingham College of Nurse Education and held a number of posts in medicine and surgery before establishing the specialist urological nursing service in North Oxfordshire as a clinical nurse specialist employed by the Department of Urology in Oxford. Prior to entering education, Mark served for four years as a captain in the Reserve Army Medical Services and was deployed to Iraq in 2004. He was a lecturer and senior lecturer in health and social care at Birmingham City University until 2015. As a principal lecturer and director of practice learning at the University of Bedfordshire, Mark provided academic leadership relating to practice learning across HCPC and NMC approved and commissioned healthcare courses across the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. He was appointed reader and department director of practice education at Brunel University London in July 2023