This document provides guidance for mentors on compiling a practice portfolio to demonstrate achievement of the eight standards for mentors set by the NMC. It outlines the domains covered by the standards, including establishing relationships, facilitating learning, assessment, evaluation, environment, context, evidence-based practice, and leadership. Examples of evidence are provided for each standard, such as interviews, reflections, action plans, and testimonials. Mentors are expected to cross-reference evidence in a table and ensure confidentiality. Reflection is encouraged to help mentors provide evidence and improve their practice.

1. Mentoring in Practice
Portfolio Guidance

2. What is your portfolio for?
• This practice portfolio has been designed to enable
demonstration of successful completion of all NMC
Standards and outcomes for Mentors (NMC 2008).
• These are specifically the eight standards of the
developmental framework at Stage 2.
• You will be expected to provide at least one piece of
evidence to support achievement of each standard. It is
expected that this evidence will be collected
throughout the duration of your module.

3. SLAiP (2008) Domains
• Establishing effective working relationships
• Facilitation of learning
• Assessment and accountability
• Evaluation of learning
• Creating an environment for learning
• Context of practice
• Evidence-based practice
• Leadership

4. Recording evidence
• You are expected to cross reference your
evidence in this table in your portfolio

5. The Outcomes…
Establishing effective working
relationships
• Demonstrate an understanding of
factors that influence how students
integrate into practice settings.
• Provide ongoing and constructive
support to facilitate transition from
one learning environment to another.
• Have effective professional and
interprofessional working
relationships to support learning for
entry to the register
• Student welcome pack
• Working with other member of the
team – witness statements
• Reflective writing
• Anonymised interviews/progress
checks
• Who’s who in the welcome pack
• Initial interviews

6. Outcomes continued…
Facilitation of learning
• Use knowledge of the student’s stage
of learning to select appropriate
learning opportunities to meet
individual needs.
• Facilitate the selection of appropriate
learning strategies to integrate
learning from practice and academic
experiences.
• Support students in critically
reflecting upon their learning
experiences in order to enhance
future learning.
• Anonymised interviews
• Action planning
• PDPs
• Reflection of action plans
• Question & answers
• Student lead tasks
• Supervising mentor testimonies

7. Outcomes continued…
Assessment and accountability
• Foster professional growth, personal development
and accountability through support of students in
practice.
• Demonstrate a breadth of understanding of
assessment strategies and the ability to contribute
to the total assessment process as part of the
teaching team.
• Provide constructive feedback to students and
assist them in identifying future learning needs and
actions. Manage failing students so that they may
enhance their performance and capabilities for safe
and effective practice or be able to understand their
failure and the implications of this for their future.
• Be accountable for confirming that students have
met, or not met, the NMC competencies in practice.
As a sign-off mentor confirm that students have
met, or not met, the NMC standards of proficiency
in practice and are capable of safe and effective
practice.
• Witness testimony from supervising mentor
• St mentor SWOT analysis
• St/N SWOT analysis
• Student interviews
• Reflective pieces – How you achieve outcomes
• Management of failing student

8. Outcomes continued…
Evaluation of learning
• Contribute to evaluation of
student learning and
assessment experiences –
proposing aspects for
change resulting from such
evaluation.
• Participate in self and peer
evaluation to facilitate
personal development, and
contribute to the
development of others
• Witness testimonies
• Reflective accounts
• SWOT analysis
• Reflection of learning
experience
• Interviews
• Evaluation tools
• Action plans
• 1-1 interviews

9. Outcomes continued…
Creating an environment for learning
• Support students to identify both learning
needs and experiences that are appropriate
to their level of learning.
• Use a range of learning experiences,
involving patients, clients, carers and the
professional team, to meet defined learning
needs.
• Identify aspects of the learning environment
which could be enhanced – negotiating with
others to make appropriate changes.
• Act as a resource to facilitate personal and
professional development of others.
• Copies of interviews with student
• Reflective pieces
• Witness testimonies
• Communication chains (raising concerns)
• Involvement in all activities and including
evidence for activities
• Encouraging student to negotiate with other
MDT members
• Anonymised copies of meeting
minutes/emails
• Signposting, ongoing reviews of progress

10. Outcomes continued…
Context of practice
• Contribute to the development of an
environment in which effective
practice is fostered, implemented,
evaluated and disseminated.
• Set and maintain professional
boundaries that are sufficiently
flexible for providing
interprofessional care.
• Initiate and respond to practice
developments to ensure safe and
effective care is achieved and an
effective learning environment is
maintained.
• Audit – ward audit, results, action
plans
• Communication strategies
• Reflections on communication skills
• Reflections on EBP
• Patient responses
• Feedback from students
• Reflection on CPD activities

11. Outcomes continued…
Evidence-based practice
• Identify and apply research
and evidence-based practice
to their area of practice.
• Contribute to strategies to
increase or review the
evidence-base used to support
practice.
• Support students in applying
an evidence base to their own
practice.
• Look at clinical skills what
evidence is available in own
area.
• Looking at stage of training
• Feedback to students when
using evidence
• Reflection
• Students knowledge
application.
• Insight visits
• Student lead tasks/assessment
• SWOT/action planning
• Teaching session/plan

12. Outcomes continued…
Leadership
• Plan a series of learning experiences that will
meet students defined learning needs.
• Be an advocate for students to support them
accessing learning opportunities that meet
their individual needs – involving a range of
other professionals, patients, clients and
carers.
• Prioritise work to accommodate support of
students within their practice roles.
• Provide feedback about the effectiveness of
learning and assessment in practice.
• Lesson planning
• Structured timetables
• Work with other professionals
• MDTs
• Student supervision
• SWOT
• Minutes from staff meetings
• Reflective writing
• Reflective discussions
• Initial interviews/midpoint interviews/final
interviews.

13. Types of evidence
• SWOT analysis of teaching
• Student feedback
• Assessment of learning tools
• Student welcome/orientation package
• Review of your clinical learning environment
• Participation in educational audits
• Anonymised minutes of educational meetings (i.e. PLTs, Student supervision meetings)
• Lesson/teaching plans
• Powerpoints/Prezis or other learning materials
• Evidence of facilitation of student learning in clinical practice
• Written testaments/witness statements from students and colleagues
• Anonymised excerpts from student placement handbooks (e.g. induction to placement,
intermediate or final student interview, learning contracts etc.)
• Reflective activities
Please note that evidence may be used more than once if concordant with NMC outcomes or domains
of the developmental framework.
You must ensure that you maintain confidentiality of patients, colleagues and students at all times, by
ensuring all evidence is anonymous. However, identification and confirmation of your supervising
mentor is required.

14. Compiling your portfolio
• Ensure that the cross referencing document is
clear.
• Make sure I can find your evidence.
• Make sure that your evidence meets the
outcomes of SLAiP (level 2)

15. Reflection…
• If you want to reflect…
Reflection can help you to
provide evidence for some of the
more difficult issues.
Refection will also help you to
discover what you need to know!
Experience
Describe
How did it affect
you?
How did it affect
the student?
What is the
evidence around
this?
How can you
make
improvements?

16. Level 6 writing
• Use evidence to support your argument
P – Point (a general point about theory in your
own words)
E – Evidence (to argue, discuss or support a
general point: can be more than one source
used)
E – Explain (how this is relevant in practice/what
do you conclude)