Clinical Judgment During Simulation: A Comparison of Student and Faculty Scores

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Accurate assessment of clinical judgment is crucial for nursing education.
• Evaluating nursing students' clinical judgment requires reliable tools.
• Human patient simulation offers a realistic environment for skill assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the correlation between student self-assessment and faculty assessment of clinical judgment skills.
• To validate the use of the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) in simulation-based evaluations.
• To quantify the competency levels of baccalaureate nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative study design.
• Utilized the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR).
• Involved 94 baccalaureate nursing students in an adult health course during human patient simulation.

Main Results:

• A positive correlation was found between student self-assessment scores and faculty evaluator scores on the LCJR.
• The LCJR effectively captured student clinical judgment performance.
• Simulation provided a viable platform for assessment.

Conclusions:

• The Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) is a valuable tool for assessing nursing students' clinical judgment.
• Combining the LCJR with simulation enhances the evaluation of clinical competency.
• Findings support the LCJR's utility in quantifying nursing student skill levels.