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The need to provide students with regular feedback on their performance is integral to the assessment process, but not all mentors feel confident to do this. This article highlights the benefits of providing constructive feedback for both the mentor and the student. Five principles associated with giving constructive feedback are discussed. The importance of preparing for feedback, ensuring it is provided in a timely manner and being specific are emphasised. Development opportunities to enhance mentors' skills in giving feedback that is beneficial to the student are also discussed.

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In this paper, Kathleen Duffy, Colette Ferguson and Hazel Watson discuss the challenges of using grounded theory methodology in research, particularly when used for the first time. With reference to a study of the factors influencing mentors' decisions when student nurses' clinical performance is unsatisfactory, they highlight some of the practical issues relevant to the data collection phase of the research process.

Decision making is a fundamental skill required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for entry to the nurse register. It is required for the completion of the essential skills clusters - skills identified by the NMC that must be achieved in pre-registration nursing programmes. Often students do not recognise that many of the tasks they perform on clinical placement involve decision-making skills and therefore find it difficult to show their attainment in their record of achievement. This article explores how students can demonstrate their decision making and suggests techniques for mentors to support students.