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Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
Standardizing nurse practitioner student evaluation during high-stakes clinical examinations
Melanie Keiffer1, Mindi Anderson1, Dawn O Eckhoff1
1University of Central Florida College of Nursing, Orlando, FL. Dr. Keiffer is now at the Department of Nursing, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT.
This study evaluated nurse practitioner (NP) student clinical assessment skills using standardized patients. Findings indicate faculty evaluators scored students higher than standardized patients, suggesting a need for improved reviewer training and scoring methods.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Clinical Skills Assessment
- Healthcare Simulation
Background:
- Nurse practitioners (NPs) need advanced health assessment skills for accurate patient evaluation.
- High-stakes clinical examinations with standardized patients (SPs) are vital for NP training and assessment.
- Objective, valid, and reliable feedback is crucial for NP student skill development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore methods for enhancing the quality of student evaluations in simulation-based clinical examinations.
- To compare scoring consistency between faculty and independent reviewers in NP health assessment courses.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 17 video recordings of NP students' comprehensive examinations of SPs/physical examination teaching associates (PETAs).
- Scoring using a standardized rubric by faculty and an independent reviewer, both live and post-examination via video platform.
- Comparison of examination score distributions and medians between evaluator groups.
Main Results:
- Significant differences were found in examination score distributions between faculty and SP/PETA groups.
- Faculty evaluators assigned significantly higher median examination scores compared to SPs/PETAs.
- Inconsistent scoring patterns were observed across evaluator groups.
Conclusions:
- Improving reviewer training, simplifying scoring checklists, and implementing electronic scoring can enhance evaluation efficiency.
- Developing exemplary teaching videos can standardize scoring, reduce scorer effort, and improve accuracy.
- Standardized scoring protocols are essential for reliable assessment of NP clinical competence.
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