Preceptors’ views of assessing nursing students using a competency based approach (original) (raw)
Related papers
Competency assessment methods – Tool and processes: A survey of nurse preceptors in Ireland
Nurse Education in Practice, 2011
Determining student nurses' clinical competence is underpinned by significant challenges including a lack of reliable assessments methods and multiple factors that impact on the assessment function of preceptors. The purpose of this study was to explore preceptors' views and experiences of a competency assessment tool and process used to assess BSc student nurses' clinical competence. Data were collected using a mixed method descriptive approach that included focus groups (n ¼ 16) and a survey of preceptors (n ¼ 837) in general, mental health and intellectual disability nursing in Ireland. This paper reports the results of the preceptor survey, which yielded a response rate of 30.4%. Findings revealed that preceptors had difficulty in understanding the language used in the competency assessment document. There was a lack of continuity of the same preceptor to students over the assessment period and over half of the preceptors gave less than 30 min to the formal interview process. Preceptors more often assessed knowledge and attitudes compared to skills. Matching preceptor roster with students, standardisation of the process and a moderator system to support the integrity of competency assessment is recommended.
Assessing student nurse clinical competency: will we ever get it right?
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2003
In 1997, a revised system was introduced at the University of Glamorgan, Wales, to assess student nurse clinical competency. This was firstly as a result of concerns that the previous system was based on limited documentary evidence, and, secondly as the Welsh National Board for Nursing and Midwifery issued new competency statements.
Nurse Education in Practice, 2011
Aim: This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of the Structured Observation and Assessment of Practice (SOAP), a model used to assess third year undergraduate nursing students' clinical competence. Background: Competence is a complex concept that is difficult to define and measure. The assessment of nursing students' clinical competence has confronted universities with problems of validity, reliability, subjectivity and bias for many years. This presents particular problems in nursing as patient outcomes may be compromised by incompetent practice. Too often assessments of nursing students' competence comprise brief assessments of psychomotor skills, vague global assessment of generic skills/attributes or assessments undertaken in simulated laboratory settings rather than the real world of practice. Methods: The Structured Observation and Assessment of Practice (SOAP), is a full day holistic practicedriven clinical competence assessment approach that motivates nursing students' learning, promotes critical reflection and confirms graduates' readiness for professional practice. This model was introduced in 2004 and since then 1031 students have been assessed. Quantitative and qualitative data has been collected via an anonymous online evaluation. Results: Survey results have been statistically analysed using The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (Version 13) with exploratory factor analysis employed to ascertain construct validity. This paper will report on the four components that showed acceptable factor loadings and that together accounted for 77.65 per cent of the variance: perceived learning outcomes, consistency with general clinical performance, quality of assessors, and anxiety/stress impact. Conclusion: The results of the SOAP approach supports the premise that quality clinical assessment requires nursing students' exposure to complex challenges undertaken in authentic clinical contexts, observed by registered nurses who are trained as assessors and have a strong educational and clinical background.
Problems with competence assessment as it applies to student nurses
2012
Abstract Nursing has enthusiastically embraced the concept of continuing competence as the key means of reassuring the public of the overall quality of the profession. There are many definitions of competence and a number of nursing regulatory bodies have put into operation, a definition which is reductionist rather then holistic in nature.
International Journal of …, 2002
This paper reports findings from a study funded by the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland to test selected nursing and midwifery clinical competence assessment tools for reliability and validity. The study, which took place over two years from July 1997, involved comparing items in the selected tools with statutory competencies for nurses and midwives, collecting assessment data from a sample of 257 nursing and 43 midwifery students in four educational institutions and administering additional assessment measures (the Nursing Competencies Questionnaire (NCQ) (Bartlett et al., An evaluation of pre-registration nursing education: a literature review and comparative study of graduate outcomes, Oxford Centre for Health Care Research & Development, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, 1998) and the Key Areas Assessment InstrumentFKAAI) to the total student sample (and to their lecturers and practice assessors) at two time points which were six months apart. Our focus was the programme-specific clinical competence assessment tools but by testing these tools we also provide evidence on the validity of other methods of competence assessment. Validity of the methods was assessed, primarily, by calculating multivariate and univariate correlation coefficients between them. The NCQ and KAAI were analysed for internal consistency. The NCQ and the versions of KAAI for lecturers and practice assessors were found to have good internal consistency. The version of the KAAI tool developed for students showed reasonable internal consistency for nursing students, but less consistency for midwifery students. Correlational analysis of data collected on students showed that there is little or no relationship between most of the clinical competence assessment methods in current use, or between these methods and those introduced by the research team. This finding supports previous research, particularly in medical education and confirms that the different methods address different abilities. A clear finding from this study is that no single method is appropriate for assessing clinical competence. A multimethod UK-wide strategy for clinical competence assessment for nursing and midwifery is needed if we are to be sure that assessment reveals whether or not students have achieved the complex repertoire of knowledge, skills and attitudesrequired for competent practice.
Nurse education today, 2006
The competency based pre-registration nursing curriculum was introduced to address concerns about levels of confidence and competence in skills of newly qualified Project 2000 educated nurses [Department of Health, 1999. Making a Difference: Strengthening the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Contribution to Health and Healthcare. The Stationary Office, London]. This study sought to examine whether the implementation of the competency recommendations has led to improvements in the confidence of nursing students in their clinical skills. A self-administered questionnaire examining ratings of confidence in areas of nursing practice and core competencies as specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) [UKCC, 2001. Requirements for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes. UKCC, London] was administered to 139 final year adult nursing students who were studying with the Project 2000 or competency curriculum. The response rate was 53%, results indicating that the students studyin...
Assessing practice of student nurses: methods, preparation of assessors and student views
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2002
2 0 0 2 ) ( 2 0 0 2 ) Journal of Advanced Nursing 38(5), 516-523 Assessing practice of student nurses: methods, preparation of assessors and student views Aims. To describe the methods of measuring progress in achieving competence of preregistration nursing and midwifery students used by institutions of higher and further education in Scotland and to describe the philosophy and approaches to competence assessment in each institution. Background. Institutions of higher and further education in Scotland operate a variety of schemes to assess the clinical practice of student nurses. These are based on different philosophies and practices and this raises the question of which are valid and reliable. Methods. All institutions in Scotland providing validated Diploma of Higher Education programmes for preregistration nursing and midwifery participated in this study. Data were collected by postal questionnaire, review of programme documentation and supplemented with interviews with key stakeholders. The directors of the 13 programmes (seven nursing and six midwifery programmes) were surveyed and also 12 group interviews with students (six nursing and six midwifery student groups) from seven institutions. Students from all four branches were represented and 72 students (36 nurses and 36 midwives) were interviewed. Results. Four key findings were identified and related to competence assessment methods, preparation of practice assessors, consequences of failure to meet expected level of outcome and students' views.
Nurse Education Today, 2009
This paper describes a collaborative project conducted by the three principal universities in Dublin to implement and evaluate a competence assessment tool for use by nursing students and their assessors while on clinical placements. In the greater Dublin area, students from three universities are required to share clinical placement sites in specialist practice areas. Accordingly, a liaison group was established among the three universities, in order to develop a common competencebased assessment tool and related protocols for its use. The newly developed competence assessment tool was implemented in 2004, and in 2006, an evaluation of its use was conducted by means of a survey among a non-probability sample of students and their preceptors. Results from the survey data indicate generally positive attitudes to the structure of the tool and positive experiences of its operation in practice. However, respondents indicated dissatisfaction with the amount of time spent completing the assessment tool and the amount of preparation needed to carry out the assessment process Recommendations for practice include the need to consider placement length in the design process and the need to focus on user preparation. This study also points to the benefits of inter-institutional collaboration in competence assessment and the possible implications for future work in this area.