4. Supervision and assessment

Approved education institutions, together with practice learning partners, must:

4.1ensure that support, supervision, learning and assessment provided complies with the NMC Standards framework for nursing and midwifery education

4.2ensure that support, supervision, learning and assessment provided complies with the NMC Standards for student supervision and assessment

4.3appoint a programme leader in accordance with the requirements of the NMC Standards framework for nursing and midwifery education. The programme leader of a prescribing programme may be any registered healthcare professional with appropriate knowledge, skills and experience

4.4ensure the programme leader works in conjunction with the Lead Midwife for Education (LME) and the practice assessor to ensure adequate support for any midwives undertaking prescribing programmes

4.5ensure the student is assigned to a practice assessor who is a registered healthcare professional and an experienced prescriber with suitable equivalent qualifications for the programme the student is undertaking

4.5.1In exceptional circumstances, the same person may fulfil the role of practice supervisor and practice assessor for that part of the programme where the prescribing student is undergoing training in a practice learning setting. In such instances, the student, practice supervisor/assessor and the AEI will need to evidence why it was necessary for the practice supervisor and assessor roles to be carried out by the same person

4.6ensure the student is assigned to an academic assessor who is a registered healthcare professional with suitable equivalent qualifications for the programme the student is undertaking

4.7provide constructive feedback to students throughout the programme to support their development as necessary for meeting the RPS competencies and programme outcomes

4.8assess the student’s suitability for award based on the successful completion of a period of practice based learning relevant to their field of prescribing practice

4.9ensure that all programme learning outcomes are met, addressing all areas necessary to meet the RPS competencies. This includes all students:

4.9.1successfully passing a pharmacology exam (the pharmacology exam must be passed with a minimum score of 80 percent), and

4.9.2successfully passing a numeracy assessment related to prescribing and calculation of medicines (the numeracy assessment must be passed with a score of 100 percent).