Evaluation by nurses and students of a new assessment form for clinical nursing education

An assessment form was developed, based on Swedish higher education regulations and international guidelines for nursing education, to be used during clinical education regardless of the level of the programme or clinical specialty. Nurses who acted as supervisors for students used the form for continuous and formal assessment, and students used it for self-assessment. Once developed, the assessment form covered 18 professional and academic areas. After one semester nurses (n = 323) and students (n = 154) from two university colleges evaluated their experiences of using the form by answering a questionnaire. In addition, the completed assessment forms filled in by the nurses were reviewed and analysed. The evaluation showed that the nurses and the students considered the assessment form highly valuable. Both groups believed that the form highlighted the requirements for clinical education and was useful in assessing the students' development. Almost all 18 factors were found to be important to assess. Least important and most difficult to assess were 'the use of research and developmental work' and 'the ability to inform and teach co-workers and students'. Some areas that were regarded as difficult to assess were also marked by the nurses in the assessment form as 'not possible or relevant to assess'. The form was found to be useful in assessing students' development towards the goals of nursing education. The study also revealed that essential areas in nursing education have unclear educational demands for those involved.