Evaluation of unsatisfactory student performance

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Pedagogy
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• The 'failure to fail' phenomenon, where underperforming students are not failed, is documented in various practice professions but underexplored in clinical nursing instruction.
• Assigning failing grades in practice professions is complex, and passing incompetent students poses risks to patient care quality and delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of clinical nursing instructors who have had to fail unsatisfactory students.
• To understand the challenges and emotional struggles encountered by these instructors during the evaluation process.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with eight clinical nursing instructors.
• Analysis of interview data using Gadamer's hermeneutic principles and the hermeneutic circle.

Main Results:

• Clinical instructors, especially novices, experience significant emotional struggles and face personal, professional, and organizational challenges when failing students.
• These challenges are multifaceted, impacting instructors' roles and responsibilities in evaluating student performance.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight the need for enhanced support systems for clinical nursing faculty.
• Recommendations include developing onboarding and mentorship programs to aid faculty in managing the evaluation of unsatisfactory student performance and mitigating associated difficulties.