Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Department of Nursing
Eindhoven
Netherlands

Dear colleague and supervisor abroad,

We are delighted that you will be supervising one/some of our nursing

students.
First of all, thank you for your support and efforts.
To assist you, please find below some useful hints to be used in discussing
and reaching agreement with the student(s) on the objective of the
traineeship.
The student(s) can then further explain the details. I as foreign coordinator will
restrict myself to a broad outline.

1.
During their traineeship, students will be working on four areas of the nursing
profession, which we describe as the four core competences.
In our curriculum for the nursing course, these are:
- Providing tailor-made care
- Offering care-based management
- Promoting personal and others’ expertise
- Monitoring and promoting the quality of care
A description of what these competences mean is contained in the
competence cards for our course. These are enclosed in this package.

The student must indicate which competences he/she wishes to work on.

2a.
The student also identifies the level at which they wish to work. There are
learning levels in the four competences. These levels develop in an upward
line from simple to more in-depth, with an accompanying level of behaviour
the student should demonstrate.
These levels are:
- ability to apply
- ability to integrate
- ability to improve
- ability to innovate

WITH EACH OF THESE LEVELS, EXAMPLES ARE PROVIDED OF

POSSIBLE BEHAVIOUR; SUPPLEMENT THESE OR ADAPT THEM TO
YOUR OWN ORGANISATION.

2b
The student is therefore required to indicate the level at which he/she wishes
to acquire a competence.
In that process, the student must also discuss with you the conditions (degree
of supervision, learning situations, etc.) according to which he/she wishes to
obtain this competence. Not only the “how” but also exactly what he/she
needs to be able to achieve that goal.
Discuss clearly the behaviour the student is expected to demonstrate in order
to be able to acquire the competence at the required level, and what activities
the student will have to undertake in that connection.

3.
These “agreements” as described above must be laid down in a traineeship
plan. In other words, agree with the student that after a few weeks’
introduction, the student will present a plan to you, and discuss its content
with you. You must then sign the plan as approved.
NATURALLY you can also add required behaviour from your perspective.
Clearly agree on MUTUAL expectations in terms of both content and process.
For the evaluation, such agreements are vital.

4.
Alongside the professional competences and the level, the student may also
lay down PERSONAL learning goals in the traineeship plan. Consider this
possibility too, and lay down clear agreements for the evaluation.

5.
Every now and then, the student will visit you for feedback. Have the student
record any feedback you provide on the (360 degree) feedback form, or do so
yourself. Feedback forms are available for this purpose, and can be provided
by the student. Other people involved at the traineeship address can also
record their feedback on this form. REMEMBER THAT EVERY TIME ANY
FEEDBACK IS PROVIDED, YOU MUST SIGN AS EVIDENCE OF
APPROVAL.

6.
At the end of the traineeship, you can explicitly determine whether you
consider the student suitable for the profession of nurse at bachelor level.
Identify aspects that are successfully undertaken, as well as those aspects
which require further attention. Do this in a brief description. For example you
could indicate that the student works well at application level, but is
insufficiently advanced at the level of ‘ability to make a contribution to
improvement points’.

7.
To support the burden of proof for the competence, you can also reach
agreement on specific ‘products’ such as reports, etc. It could help both you
and the student to arrive at a sound evaluation.

Finally:
Please provide an evaluation at the end of the traineeship. The student may
agree or disagree with your judgement. In the end, following detailed
discussions at school, a final assessment will be provided. Your feedback and
the student’s own self-evaluations are of essential importance.

Thank you very much for your cooperation,

Simone Egberts, Internship Coordinator

Siv Goluke.
Internationalization Coordinator