Experiences and evaluation of the new standards for student supervision and assessment

Student nurses in the UK must complete a pre-registration programme approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to meet the Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses, which qualifies them for entry onto the NMC register (NMC, 2023a). A key component of this programme is clinical placement, where student nurses gain practical experience and develop essential skills in a supervised healthcare environment (Vinales, 2015). In May 2018, the NMC introduced the Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SSSA), which replaced the traditional mentorship model and established a coaching framework for supervision. This shift introduced three new roles in the supervision and assessment of nursing students: the practice supervisor, the practice assessor, and the academic assessor (Donaldson, 2019; NMC, 2023b).

The practice supervisor is responsible for facilitating and supervising the student nurse's learning during clinical placements, while contributing to the overall assessment of their progress through documented observations. The practice assessor evaluates whether the student nurse has achieved the necessary proficiencies and learning outcomes, informed by feedback from the practice supervisor (NMC, 2023b). The academic assessor, typically a university lecturer, supports this process by collating evidence of the student's progress and offering feedback throughout the practice placement (Drayton and Edmonds, 2020).