Grading journals in clinical practice: a delicate issue

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Practice Reflection

Background:

• Nurse educators face challenges in fostering students' self-awareness and professional identity.
• Clinical placements are crucial for nursing students to explore and articulate their practice.
• Writing journals offer a platform for student-teacher dialogue and reflection on clinical experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of grading on the effectiveness of student clinical journals.
• To explore the incompatibility between the reflective purpose of journals and the evaluative nature of grading.
• To propose strategies for optimizing the use of journals in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of the role of journals in clinical nursing education.
• Examination of the effects of evaluation and grading on student reflection.
• Literature review on reflective practice and assessment in nursing.

Main Results:

• Grading clinical journals, with predetermined criteria, can undermine their reflective benefits.
• Judgment and control inherent in grading can inhibit authentic self-exploration.
• The purpose of journal writing for developing self-awareness is often compromised by grading.

Conclusions:

• Assigning grades to student journals is detrimental to their primary purpose.
• Reducing predetermined criteria and removing grades are potential solutions.
• Optimizing journal use requires a shift from evaluative grading to supportive feedback.