Identifying and managing underperformance in nursing students: lessons from practice

This article presents an analysis of the reflective practice of mentors and student nurses who were interviewed as part of a personal skill improvement project. Colleagues and students were asked to provide feedback on their perceptions of how the author demonstrated the skill of identifying and managing underperformance in nursing students. Their narratives were examined with the intention of identifying areas for improving underperformance and how it could be managed in future. Key findings were the requirement for mentors to increase engagement with students, especially in terms of protected time, participatory learning, honest and open dialogue and the need for a commitment to building a supportive and effective mentor–student relationship. This article offers insight into how current mentors and students perceive the management of underperformance and raises awareness of related issues in an attempt to improve mentoring practice.