Meeting the AACN's Essentials for Competency-Based Education With Hands-Free Video-Recorded Skills Assessment

In the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's updated Essentials, competency-based education (CBE) is the expected standard for nursing curricula. CBE approaches include observation, practice repetition, demonstration, and video supervision guided by a framework of competency, feedback, and self-reflection.

The promotion of skills competency among nursing students was facilitated by self-regulated learning using video skills-based competency testing. Video surveillance enabled students to practice and self-test their competency skills.

Self-videotaping by students provided a comfortable learning environment for repeated practice and fostered clinical judgment and accountability. Students reported increased confidence, decreased anxiety, and improved performance. Students developed skills and attitudes regarding self-reflection and self-remediation. Additionally, faculty reported improved visibility, a more efficient workload, and greater achievement of student outcomes.

Integrating CBE and incorporating video technology during skills testing enhances the opportunity for students to demonstrate skills competency and gain comfort in their own skills acquisition. [.