Nursing Education and Implementation of Evaluation and Objective Outcome
Difference In Evaluation Versus Outcomes
Evaluation
means to draw a conclusion about the value or worth of something (Oxford
Dictionaries, 2014a). Objectives refer to a goal or purpose, something to
attain (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014b). Outcomes refer to an end result or a
consequence (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014c). Both objectives and outcomes provide
a measure for evaluation.
Importance of Evaluation In Nursing Education
Evaluation is essential in nursing education and involves a variety of aspects of the educational experience. When conducting an evaluation, it is very important to determine between objectives and outcomes. Courses have objectives and a variety of teaching and learning strategies that are used to help students to meet the course objectives. Additionally, the students have a goal of achieving a high grade in the course. The grade is an evaluation measure of how well the student achieved the course objectives.
Students are evaluated based on their performance in the clinical setting that provides a measure of how well the student has achieved the objectives for the clinical course. Moreover, courses and clinical experiences are evaluated by students according to how well the course or clinical experience met their learning needs and helped them to achieve the objectives. Outcomes refer to an end result, which in nursing education is graduating from the program and passing the NCLEX-RN license examination Therefore, nursing programs are primarily evaluated by the outcome measures of graduation rates and first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates.
Both course objectives and program outcomes are developed based on accreditation standards and school goals. Both course objectives and program outcomes are critical to the overall evaluation plan for the school. Course objectives provide a formative evaluation of each course and give the faculty member important feedback about the course, which can be used to improve the course to enhance the student's learning experience.
In addition, program outcomes provide a summative evaluation of the program. This information allows faculty to use data about the program over all to make important decisions about the curriculum. Both formative and summative evaluations are necessary for schools of nursing to ensure that their curriculum is meeting accreditation standards and students' needs.
Evaluation and Outcomes Trends In Nursing Education
Current trends in the literature related to evaluation are measuring first time NCLEX-RN pass rates, attrition and graduation rates, and the impact of simulation on student success in achieving course objectives and program outcomes. Many schools of nursing use first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates as an outcome indicator to measure how well their program is preparing students for practice (Pennington & Spurlock, 2010; Penprase & Harris, 2013, Simon , McGinniss , & Krauss, 2013) . Furthermore, schools of nursing often examine graduation/attrition rates as an important measure of how well their program is preparing students to meet both course objectives and program outcomes (Abele, Penprase , & Ternes , 2013; Dante, Valoppi , Saiani , & Palese , 2011; Fowler & Norrie, 2009; Harris, Rosenberg, & O'Rourke, 2014, O'Donnell, 2009, Penprase & Harris, 2013).
Additionally, simulation is an important topic in the nursing literature in relation to evaluation. Simulation has been shown to improve students' success in assimilating into a registered nurse (RN) position ( Liaw et al., 2014) and improve students' test scores on knowledge and skill examinations, but mixed results exist in how well simulation improves clinical performance ( Shinnick , Woo, & Evangelista, 2012; Yuan, Williams, Fang, & Ye, 2012).It is critical that faculty members in schools of nursing participate in ongoing evaluation of their courses (formative) and the program (summative).
Moreover, it is essential that faculty use this information from the evaluation to improve their program and increase students' success in their goal of becoming licensed RNs Furthermore, it is important that faculty members evaluate course objectives and program outcomes on a regular basis and revise them as necessary to be consistent with current standards and guidelines .
This process will help ensure that each school of nursing is preparing the strongest nurses who are up-to-date with current trends in health care and are prepared to be successful nurses in today's ever- changing health care environment. Finally, an important area of continued nursing research is studying the effects of simulation on improving student's clinical skills and abilities.
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