Role modelling as a teaching method for student mentors

Murray, Cyril J. MSc, BA, RN

Cyril J. Murray, MSc, BA, RN, is senior lecturer and Andrew Main, MSc, RN, is lecturer, both at the School of Nursing, University of Salford, Eccles, Greater Manchester.

This article has been double-blind peer-reviewed.

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Nursing Times 101(26):p 30-33, June 28, 2005.

Nurses, midwives and health visitors working as mentors are required to help their students to develop both competence and confidence in their practice. Faced with increasing workloads, practitioners need to consider alternative approaches to teaching and learning. Role modelling may be the most appropriate approach because it enables students to work alongside practitioners. However, it is often underused. This article outlines positive and negative role-modelling behaviours using moving and handling to illustrate a framework for this.