Maternal-infant clinical nurse specialist performance assessment: development of an evaluation tool

The Maternal-Infant Clinical Nurse Specialist Performance Evaluation Tool was developed to assist students to enact certain role behaviors of the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in maternal-infant nursing and to provide faculty with a measurement of such behaviors for the purpose of student clinical evaluation. Items for the behaviorally-anchored, criterion-referenced tool were derived from current standards of CNS practice, expected competencies of the CNS as reported in the literature, and program and course objectives. Initial use of the tool with graduate students in the maternal-infant specialty indicated a valid and reliable rationale for continued use. Since the categories of the tool represent common CNS roles, it should be applicable to other specialties.