Programme evaluation in nursing education: the state of the art

Programme evaluation is a complex but integral component of a nursing education programme. It is an ongoing process of collecting and describing data which provides the basis for decision making. Specifically, evaluative data can be used to prepare for accreditation visits; account for budgetary expenditures; answer requests for information; develop faculty and staff; and examine the planned and actual effects of the programme within the community and make changes accordingly. There are several programme evaluation models available to guide the evaluation process, but no single model is best and nurse educators must consider a variety of variables. Ideally, the selection of a model should be based on the purpose of the evaluation, programme needs, material and spatial resources, and personnel time, as well as the needs and desires of key interest groups. Several considerations are also required before the model is implemented. These include determining specific priorities for evaluation since all aspects of a programme (conceptual framework, philosophy, programme goals, student characteristics, graduates' performance, faculty and administrative expertise, as well as adequacy of resources) usually cannot be evaluated simultaneously; how the evaluation should proceed; time frames for specific evaluation projects; and personnel responsible for the evaluative activities.