Teaching and assessing

Abstract

In every professional area of health and social care, staff are involved in their own continuous learning and development as well as in supporting others. Most healthcare staff provide both mentoring support for new or more junior colleagues and also contribute to the teaching of learners from a variety of disciplines in placement activities. Much of this support involves informal teaching in practical skills but it may also include more formal teaching to support the development of others who are studying for work-based qualifications such as NVQs and foundation degrees. Effective teaching is underpinned by assessing others, both formally and informally, and in giving feedback which is helpful in promoting further learning and development. Moreover, health and social care staff are frequently involved in teaching patients/ clients to improve their self-care skills in areas such as in wound care, self-medication and giving dietary advice, as well as teaching the correct use of aids to promote independence. For these reasons, teaching, assessing and giving constructive feedback are key elements in sharing knowledge and understanding within the practice environment to support the development of the whole team.