Responsibilities of Nurses Education for Clinical Evaluation

 Role of Faculty In Nursing Clinical Evaluation

What Is Clinical Evaluation,Purposes of Clinical Evaluation,Complexity of Clinical Evaluation,Involvement of Nursing Faculty In Clinical Evaluation.

What Is Clinical Evaluation

    Clinical evaluation is a process in which an instructor evaluates a nursing student's performance in the clinical area using specific criteria. The clinical area is where students must demonstrate acquired knowledge and apply that knowledge when caring for patients. Clinical evaluation is challenging and complex because it encompasses the three domains of learning cognitive, effective, and psychomotor (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011). 

    The goal for each student during the clinical experience is to attain acceptable clinical performance demonstrating behavior, knowledge , and attitudes, which are fostered in a variety of clinical experiences and settings (Billings & Halstead, 2011.

Purposes of Clinical Evaluation

    The purpose of clinical evaluation is to ensure that the student is performing safely and providing a high standard of care. Clinical evaluation is a subjective process influenced by the attitudes and opinions of faculty and students. The role of faculty is performing a fair and comprehensive clinical evaluation that requires constant observation and documentation of the student's cognitive thinking feelings, and performance of psychomotor skills (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011). 

    Using criterion-referenced tools along with other sources of data to evaluate behavior and learning of a student may include observations, required written work, and evidence of participation in pre- and post-conferences. Clinical educators have the responsibility to assist students in the clinical area to master and develop higher level thinking skills that will support and foster effective clinical reasoning (Kuiper & Pesut , 2004).

    The fairness and accuracy of clinical evaluation are associated with important factors involving the clinical faculty. The faculty member's personal values and beliefs may influence feelings toward a student or a specific clinical situation in determining whether the clinical site is an environment supportive of learning. This evaluation process should be based on curriculum objectives and a standard of practice that includes all aspects of students' performance (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011.

     Evaluation of a student in the clinical area can be a very challenging process. The faculty member gathers and analyzes data from many sources and provides extensive documentation of the behavior. Formative and summative evaluations occur in the evaluation process. Each week students should be given informal, ongoing feedback regarding strengths and weaknesses. 

    This can be documented weekly by the instructor on a student experience form with an additional area for students to express their perceptions of the clinical experience. As a result, students are continually learning and growing as professionals while being influenced positively by mentoring of the clinical instructor ( Bonnel , Gomez, Lobodzinski & West, 2005). Summative evaluation is the final judgment of whether the student has demonstrated the required learning objectives and determined to be a safe and competent practitioner (Gallant, MacDonald, & Smith Higuchi, 2006).

Complexity of Clinical Evaluation

    Clinical evaluation of nursing students is a complex process. Clinical competence includes safety, application of knowledge, proper performance of nursing skills, and demonstration of a positive and professional attitude. The student nurse must be efficient in analyzing complex patient situations, solving problems, and communicating effectively with patients and other health care professionals. Furthermore, instructors provide evidence of leadership and sensitivity to the cultural and spiritual needs of patients (Mitchell, Bennett, & Manfrin-Ledet , 2006). 

    It is important to develop a valid and reliable clinical evaluation tool to establish and convey to students what objectives must be achieved to be successful (Gallant et al., 2006).Clinical instructors use a wide range of evaluation strategies in the clinical setting to keep decisions about clinical evaluation trustworthy and fair. Strategies may include written assignments, skill testing, reflective journals, simulations, student presentations. and peer review. Observation in various clinical situations is the most popular strategy used by faculty in nursing programs ( Dermann , Saewert , Charasika , & Yarbrough, 2009). 

    Evaluating a student can be filled with flaws relating to inconsistencies with the criteria and subjectivity by the faculty.An effective and expert clinical teacher will guide a student's clinical performance, The outcome of a clinical evaluation is dependent on the instructor's ability to know and respond to the students' learning needs, goals, strengths, limited knowledge. and limited clinical experiences. Knowing the student as an individual minimizes assumptions and biases by faculty, making the evaluation more reliable and valid (Gillespie, 2002).

Involvement of Nursing Faculty In Clinical Evaluation

    Nursing faculty involved in the clinical education of nursing students has a responsibility to reduce inconsistencies in expected learning outcomes that are evaluated in the clinical setting. Consistent standards must be created and aligned with evidence based teaching to assess and evaluate levels of clinical competency in the nursing program ( Oermann , 2008). Research studies are needed to examine new methods of clinical evaluation that will include consistent standards while fostering professional growth and meeting the challenges of changes in the delivery of health care.