Clinical Assessment –The Portfolio
The portfolio can be split into separate, but related sections:
1. Practice attendance record
2. Practice Competencies|
3. Written evidence|
4. Clinical database|
5. Example of completed tutorial record and practice competencies| (opens in new window)
Practice Placement Attendance
The practice site attendance policy applies at all times
Please complete this record in 24-hour format
1. Practice Attendance Record
a. Placement attendance record
Students must attend for 95% of their allocated clinical time. There is also a requirement for academic attendance and it is UCS policy to take a register.
Students must attend for 37.5 hours per week. The exact attendance can be negotiated with the placement staff and the clinical placement supervisor. The clinical placement supervisor and placement staff always have the final say as to what constitutes an appropriate clinical attendance pattern.
Each Portfolio of Evidence contains an Attendance Sheet. The student is responsible for recording all hours of clinical work completed. This must be signed for each period of recorded hours by a supervising member of staff to verify attendance. Students are also required to submit a time-sheet to UCS (allocations office) on a weekly basis. A statement will appear on any reference concerning the student which will indicate how many days and how many episodes of sickness were recorded during their training.
b. Assessment tutorial attendance record
Throughout the year the mentor and student will organise a number of assessment tutorials for the specific placement. At the initial meeting the mentor and student should agree which competencies can be met within the duration of the placement and the evidence the student will produce for these; the mentor will also conduct the initial assessment of the student's ability. At the formative assessment tutorial the mentor and student will review progress and conduct the 2nd assessment. At the summative assessment tutorial students will present all evidence and the mentor will conduct the final assessment, by the time of the final assessment the student should have reached taxonomy level 3 - competent. Students should record these and the member of staff conducting the assessment tutorial should also sign the record. Again, it is the student's responsibility to keep this record up to date.
In the event of any action points arising from the summative assessment, action plans should be created for each one. These should highlight the areas that require specific action or attention. These should also include a plan of how these action points will be achieved in order to redeem the competency. Time-scales should also be given consideration.
Once the student has completed the portfolio it will be submitted by a specified date. This will be after the completion of the clinical component of the Professional Practice module. The Professional Practice module leader will then check that all the components have been completed. All parties (student, mentors and Professional Practice module leader) will record their views on the competencies and it will be awarded an overall pass or refer.
Click here| to see an example of a completed attendance record.
2. Practice Competencies
The student must complete all the competencies in Practice Portfolio 1 in order to pass the Professional Practice 1 module and progress to intermediate level. The student must supply evidence to demonstrate their competence; this may include reflections, literature reviews, critical appraisals, posters etc. The mentor will then add comments and assess the student's competence; students must reach a minimum standard of competent in order to pass. An example of the competency table is shown below:
11.9: Understands the investigations associated with, and the processing of, clinical specimens
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Dates of Assessment
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Initial
Assessment
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2nd
Assessment
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Final
Assessment
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1. Explains the specimen type and the purpose and nature of the investigations on specimens, with reference to a valid evidence base:
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2. Prepares specimens for investigation using the correct containers and medium:
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3. Labels specimens for investigation correctly, in line with local policy
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4. Explains the precautions taken to prevent errors when preparing specimen for investigation
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Evidence Reference:
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Notes on achievement/non-achievement and further action planned:
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Overall level achieved:
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Assessor signature:
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Student signature:
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Click here| to see an example of a completed competency document
Assessing Level of Skill Development
The purpose of the portfolio is to develop clinically competent Operating Department Practitioners. During the training programme, students are required to reach competent level in all of the identified competencies. An explanation of the levels for assessment and their associated descriptors are given below:
Beginner (B)
The student operating department practitioner has no experience of the presenting clinical situation and operate by closely following rules laid down by others. They perform a series of tasks without understanding, or referring to, the context in which they are working.
Developing Learner (DL)
The student operating department practitioner demonstrates a degree of flexibility in their practice and interprets the rules to meet the needs of the situation, maintaining the safety of the patient, others and themselves. They are able to relate to the current situation, based on prior learning.
Competent (C)
The student operating department practitioner is consciously aware of the long-term effects of their actions. They are able to plan the most satisfactory outcome of a situation and take the necessary actions in order to meet the required aims. In order to successfully achieve this conscious, abstract and analytical contemplation of the situation is required.
It is anticipated that the student operating department practitioner will complete 4-5 competencies per semester. This should allow for an even workload throughout the year. All competencies must be assessed at Competent level by the end of the year. A discussion should take place between mentor and student at the initial interview stage to decide which competencies will be assessed in each semester in relation to the students' clinical placements.
3. Written Evidence
To support the competency documents, the students are required to provide supporting evidence. This may take a variety of forms and the type of evidence required is agreed with the mentor at the initial assessment tutorial. This may include written work, annotated diagrams, reflections, posters, verbal questioning by the mentor (the questions and answers must be documented), information leaflets, completed care plans, adverse incident reports etc. While some competencies require more formal reflections or written work, others allow the student to use a more creative method provided this demonstrates the competency.
Any written evidence must refer to a valid and current literature base and be referenced according to the Harvard Referencing system.
Confidentiality
Under no circumstances must a student keep any information in their evidence which can specifically identify a patient.
Students may not use any evidence which specifies the name of the placement site i.e. Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust or West Suffolk, therefore this must be removed from any copies of documentation. Students may not identify the placement site in any of their written evidence nor may they refer to any policies or protocols not in the public domain; instead they must use the term "Local Trust" or "Local Trust Policy".
Reflections
In the 2002 validated course some of the academic assessment required the students to reflect on their practice learning experiences. While this was a good method of assessment it was not very realistic, therefore we decided to move reflections out of the academic setting and into clinical where they belong. This prepares the students for the work based reflections they may choose to carry out when they qualify. Within the portfolio the students are required to complete reflections as evidence for their competencies. Within these reflections the students may like to consider their personal, professional and technical development which provides them with the underpinning skills to maintain continued professional development throughout their career.
4. Clinical Database
The clinical data base is the student's record of the cases they have participated in and their role within these cases. It must be kept up to date and must be in an electronic format. Each student will differ slightly in the depth of information they chose to include, however the following fields are essential:
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Date
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Role (anaesthetic, scrub, circulator, recovery)
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Patient status (elective, emergency, trauma)
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Patient age (adult, adolescent or child)
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Clinical procedure
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Anaesthetic type (GA, LA, Spinal, Epidural)
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Notes (this may include specimens or sets in the surgical role or specific anaesthetic procedures in the anaesthetic role)
Patient Confidentiality
Under no circumstances must a student keep any information in their database which can specifically identify a patient.
From the Course Team|
Frequently Asked Questions|
Student Support in Practice & Supervision Protocol|
Procedure for Reporting Unsafe Practice - ODP Students|
Framework of evidence to support mentors in meeting the CODP (2009) cycle of mentor development two yearly review|
Contacts|
Health Partners Home Page|