Effective Mentoring: Supporting Underachieving Students in Practice

This essay plan outlines strategies for mentoring an underachieving second-year student during a five-week placement. It emphasizes the importance of mentorship in clinical practice, highlighting the roles and qualities of an effective mentor. The plan covers identifying learning styles, applying learning theories, and creating a positive clinical learning environment through SWOT analysis and SMART goals. It also addresses assessment methods, including self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and timely feedback, to promote learning and ensure a successful outcome for the student. The essay references literature sources and aims to provide a comprehensive approach to supporting underachieving students through effective mentoring practices. Desklib provides a platform for students to access similar solved assignments.

Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Practice
ESSAY PLAN (500-750 words)
Student Name:
Matriculation Number:
Supervisor name:
Essay introduction: Outline what you are going to discuss in the assignment. Briefly review
the importance of mentorship in clinical practice.
A significant role is played by the mentors in supporting and guiding the students in clinical
practice. Best professional growth and clinical practices are facilitated by mentoring for both
mentee and mentor
Mentors are considered to be in a best position to appropriately judge the capabilities of the
students as they spend much of their time with the students. Learning in an inter-professional
environment is supported by the mentors along with the assessment and judgment of the
proficiency of the students. A mentor plays a number of roles such as that of a coach, adviser,
role model, problem solver, supporter, teacher, counsellor, guide, organizer and planner. The
performance of such roles by the mentors enhances the learning of the students.
This essay will highlight a situation in which a second year student comes for a five week
placement to a mentor’s work area. In the previous placement, the student has proved to be
underperforming. This essay will focus on the manner in which learning, teaching and
assessment strategies will be developed by the mentor for the purpose of supporting the
underachieving student for the achievement of a successful outcome.
Main content: Use the module marking criteria to help develop a structure for your essay
and write this in the space below
 Introduction
 Underachieving Student and Role and Key Qualities of an Effective Mentor
o Underachieving Students and Consequences of Failing to Fail
o Common Behaviours of Underachieving Students
o Role of a Mentor in Clinical Practice and their Relationship with Mentee

o Key Qualities of an Effective Mentor
 Identification of Learning Styles and their Application to Learning, Teaching and
Assessment of the Underachieving Student
o Range of learning styles and Ways of Identifying the Learning Styles
o Learning Style of the Mentee
 Application of Learning Theories
o Application of Learning Theories in the Role as a Mentor
 Importance of Clinical Learning Environment
o Impact of Clinical Environment on the Learning Experience of Students
o SWOT Analysis of Clinical Learning Environment
o SMART Approach
o Accurate Record Keeping with Action Plan
 Assessment for Promoting Learning in Practice
o Role of Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence
o Importance of Orientation/Induction to the Team and Clinical Area
o Development of Relationships with Wider Team
o Importance of Two-Way Feedback
o Process of Timely Assessment and Focusing on Significance of the Mid and Final
Assessment
 Conclusion and Recommendations
Once you have done this write a paragraph for one of the sections of the marking criteria to
get feedback on your academic writing (approx.150-200 words)
Underachieving Students, Role of a Mentor and Key Qualities of an Effective Mentor
The learning outcomes of the placement are successfully achieved by some students while
some are not able to reach the expected level. Mentoring role becomes challenging due to

such underachieving students.
Both mentor and student suffers from difficulty and stress when a student is not able to
perform well and ultimately fails. Confident decisions can be made by the mentor only when
he has knowledge regarding the accountability of the student and the management process
used by the underachieving students (Hegenbarth, Rawe, Murray, Arnaert & Chambers-
Evans, 2015).
A mentor performs a number of roles for providing support and guidance to the mentees. The
role of a mentor is that of a coach, problem solver, role model, advisor, supporter, teacher,
guide, counsellor, planner and organiser (Foster, Ooms & Marks- Maran, 2015).
An effective mentor shall possess certain qualities for effectively managing the performance
of the underachieving student. Such qualities include preparedness, willingness and ability to
communicate effectively, fairness and objectivity, ability to listen, approachability,
availability, genuineness, compassion and inquisitiveness.
Indicative sources
Give two literature sources
that you are likely to use in
this essay.
Use APA 6th style
Hegenbarth, M., Rawe, S., Murray, L., Arnaert, A., &
Chambers-Evans, J. (2015). Establishing and
maintaining the clinical learning environment for
nursing students: a qualitative study. Nurse education
today, 35(2), 304-309.
Foster, H., Ooms, A., & Marks-Maran, D. (2015). Nursing
students' expectations and experiences of
mentorship. Nurse education today, 35(1), 18-24.

Do you have any specific
questions you would like to
ask your supervisor?
No