These terrifying three words: A qualitative, mixed methods study of students' and mentors' understandings of ‘fitness to practise’

Abstract

Uncertainty about understandings of fitness to practise contributed to a pervasive fear among students and reluctance among mentors to raise concerns about a student's fitness to practise. Both students and mentors expressed considerable anxiety and engaged in catastrophic thinking about fitness to practise processes. Higher Education Institutes should reinforce to students that they are fit to practise the majority of the time and reduce the negative emotional loading of fitness to practise processes and highlight learning opportunities.

Dreams and disappointments regarding nursing: Student nurses' reasons for attrition and retention. A qualitative study design

“…A consistent theme was concern about lacking the knowledge to deliver good care. This theory-practice gap and these feelings of being unprepared for clinical practice continues to concern the education sector worldwide (Haycock-Stuart et al, 2016;Milton-Wildey et al, 2014). Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors proved to be important for motivating students to complete their programme.…”

The assessment of good character in nursing and midwifery pre-registration students: A modified Delphi approach

“…Whilst the FtP decision-makers in this study recognised The Code as the main point of reference for determining good character, the research evidence suggests that students and practice mentors (now practice assessors) do not have the same understanding (Haycock-Stuart et al, 2016). Failure of the NMC to recognise the student status in its FtP documentation (NMC, 2019) may be contributing towards this lack of understanding and has implications for HEIs in the prevention of FtP issues because students may not recognise when their conduct is questionable or when to self-report FtP issues.…”

“…A lack of conceptual understanding may also present challenges for students in the selfreporting and assessment of good character (Haycock-Stuart et al, 2016), which could lead to increased FtP cases in the future.…”

Suitable, fit, competent and safe to practice nursing? Assessing nursing students' personal qualities in clinical placement—An integrative review

“…Competence is presented primarily as a holistic term used to describe the students' overall competence as student nurses or future nurses (Burden et al, 2018; Cassidy et al, 2017; Duffy, 2013; Karlstrom et al, 2019; Kennedy & Chesser‐Smyth, 2017; Wangen et al, 2010; Webb & Shakespeare, 2008). Mentors' reports associate ‘fitness to practice’ with competence (Haycock‐Stuart et al, 2016). Additionally, in the study by Jervis and Tilki (2011), mentors use the term competence when referring to students' practical work.…”

“…This includes establishing good relations and interactions with patients, staff and peers (Cassidy et al, 2017; DeBrew & Lewallen, 2014; El Hussein & Fast, 2020; Jervis & Tilki, 2011; Lewallen & DeBrew, 2012; Wangen et al, 2010), contributing like ‘a member of the team’ (Burden et al, 2018; Cassidy et al, 2017; Wangen et al, 2010) and adapting to the fast‐paced clinical environment (Cassidy et al, 2017; Lauder et al, 2008; Lewallen & DeBrew, 2012). Students should ‘give of themselves’ (Wangen et al, 2010), but not self‐disclose and should separate their professional and private lives (Duffy, 2013; Haycock‐Stuart et al, 2016; Wangen et al, 2010).…”