Introduction
This assignment is a reflective critical evaluation of key requirements for professional mentorship in practice. The author will demonstrate an understanding of the key theories underpinning facilitating learning that integrates students’ practical and academic experiences; identify, and show an understanding of the key positive and negative features of the authors learning environment and suggest improvements; and finally the author will critically analyse their professional accountability as a mentor and how that applies to practice and the student’s growth and development. Reflection of practice will be undertaken throughout the assignment to identify the author’s areas for improvement of self-performance and knowledge. To facilitate the above, three learning activities were undertaken in relation to mentorship in practice, alongside mentorship of a student nurse in the clinical environment, under the supervision of a qualified mentor. The clinical area in question is a busy district nursing team of 10 members situated in a deprived area with a large varied caseload of patients. The student nurse under supervision, Maddie, is a second year on her third placement with previous experience of medical and surgical nursing wards and has never worked in the community. She had a bad experience on her last placement so is lacking confidence and is very nervous. The first activity undertaken was the construction of a learning contract and action plan with the student. This took place as the initial interview; Maddie’s previous experiences on her clinical placements were discussed, as well as what she was hoping to gain from this placement and her expectations. She had already established a list of objectives, how she could meet these objectives was discussed and also the limitations of the clinical environment, in terms