Developing competency objectives as a basis for planning and assessing health visiting practice in training

Evaluating student performance in health visiting practice is complex. This paper reports the development of a schedule which combines identification of learning needs, planning of learning experiences, implementation of student activities and the evaluation of student competencies for the fieldwork component of a Health Visitor Diploma. The schedule is intended to encourage students and community practice teachers to develop a shared approach to the planning of learning and the assessment of competence. The approach described may have implications for the planners of post-registration nursing courses who wish to meet the learning needs of students with a variety of professional and academic backgrounds.