1 Definition
VCHN College of Health and Nursing has in place an intervention and support strategy for any student who is not making satisfactory course progress.

Unsatisfactory progress is defined as not successfully completing any piece of assessment in their designated course, by failing a theory assessment or by being deemed as “not yet competent” in a clinical component/skill/procedure after the specified time frame has elapsed.

2 Purpose
VCHN College of Health and Nursing is committed to the delivery of high quality academic outcomes for students through the regular monitoring and assessment of student progress and through the provision of high quality support. This policy sets out the means by which VCHN College of Health and Nursing meets that commitment, and ensures that the requirements of Australian Nursing Boards are met.

3 VCHN Context - The need for Timely Intervention and Support
Division 1/Registered Nurse Registration Programs offered by VCHN have 160 hours class contact over a four week period, followed by up to 320 hours of clinical practice.

VCHN is a small College, with a maximum of 100 students on campus at any time, and less than 10 teaching staff.

Therefore, monitoring of student progress needs to happen from the very start of a course, and allow for speedy intervention if it is to be effective.

Monitoring of student progress in this context MUST be:

• Timely – it cannot be a bureaucratic process involving sending letters, because the course duration does not allow for this.
  
• Effective in bringing the student to the required level of competency.
  
• Documented, to provide a permanent record of the intervention, the support and the outcomes.

4 Monitoring of student progress
4.1 VCHN College of Health and Nursing (VCHN) will monitor, record and assess the progress of each student in the course in which the student is currently enrolled. VCHN has in place strategies to identify students at risk of not making satisfactory progress and those with special language and literacy needs.

4.2 Each course will include a compulsory assessment due by the time 25% of theoretical class hours have elapsed. Academic staff will inform the Training Manager of students identified as at risk and those students will be subject to VCHN College of Health and Nursing’s intervention strategy.

4.3 VCHN College of Health and Nursing teaches all its theory in one location in Heidelberg Heights. Each day the educators at this location will meet informally to review student progress.

4.4 Students who do not successfully complete any assessment will be subject to VCHN College of Health and Nursing’s intervention and support strategy.

5 Intervention and support strategy
Information concerning VCHN College of Health and Nursing’s intervention and support strategy will be made available to staff and students though induction.

Students identified as at risk of, or not making satisfactory progress will be contacted within one working day of identification being made, and counselled by the Training Manager or delegated Educator. The Training Manager or delegated Educator will meet with the student and will document the following, putting a copy onto the student’s file and into the WiseNet Student management system as a permanent record:

• specific learning objectives for the student,
  a specific time frame for the achievement of these learning objectives,
  the support mechanisms available to help the student achieve these objectives.

6 Additional supports that may be available for students making unsatisfactory progress.
Some or all of the following support mechanisms may be identified for the student to assist them meet their learning objectives:

• a recommendation that the student seek appropriate personal and/or academic support from within or outside of VCHN College of Health and Nursing.
  
• Guided access to particular E-Learning material available through VCHN College of Health and Nursing’s website.
  
• regular feedback from teaching staff that may include discussion, continuous (perhaps informal) assessment to track progress, model answers, lists of common mistakes, peer and self evaluation.
  
• identification and implementation of other additional support strategies to enhance the student’s progress.

7 Reporting
If a student fails to pass a supplementary theoretical assessment and/or fails to meet the specific learning objectives set for them within the specified time frame in the clinical setting, VCHN College of Health and Nursing will notify the student of its intention to report the student to the relevant Nursing Board for unsatisfactory progress.

The written notice (of intention to report the student for unsatisfactory progress) will inform the student that they are able to access VCHN’s complaints and appeals process and that the student has 5 working days in which to do so.

The student will be advised that during this period they are required to continue studying.

Other Policies that should be read in conjunction with this policy:
STUDENTS AT RISK OF FAILURE POLICY for DIVISION 1/REGISTERED NURSE REGISTRATION PROGRAMS