Nursing Education and Phases of Clinical Evaluation of Students Part-II
Final Data Interpretation and Presentation Phase Clinical Evaluation Conference, Student Response and Faculty, Working with Students for Questionable Performance and Supporting at Risk Students.
Final Data Interpretation and Presentation Phase Clinical Evaluation Conference
The findings of the clinical evaluation are usually shared with the student individually at the end of the clinical experience or course. No surprises should be presented at this time. The timely feedback from the earlier formative evaluation should provide students with sufficient information to prepare them for this evaluation.
A student’s self-evaluation is often submitted before the evaluation conference and discussed at this time. Evaluation results are commonly reported in both written and oral forms. Often, the primary evaluation tool is presented to show student improvement and specifically recall incidents. The faculty should initially clarify that the purpose of the conference is to provide information on the student’s clinical performance.
The results should be explained, giving specific incidents in which the student had difficulties, excelled, performed adequately, or improved. In addition, the faculty member needs to assist the student in establishing ongoing learning goals. Finally, the faculty member needs to summarize the conference and end on a positive note. The environment in which the evaluation conference takes place should be comfortable for the student, and privacy should be maintained.
An hour during which the student is responsible for patient care or directly after a tiring clinical experience is not the most conducive time for a conference. An appointment during office hours away from the clinical site provides a more comfortable and private setting for students to listen to constructive criticism or encouraging comments.
Student Response and Faculty Evaluation in Nursing Education
The student’s response to the faculty evaluation can vary. Typically, a student perceives the results as fair if his or her own appraisal is congruent with that of the faculty. A student self-evaluation submitted before the conference helps faculty gain insight into student perceptions and can give faculty time to prepare a response.
However, the best way to ensure congruent results is for faculty to provide the student with a sufficient number of formative evaluations and time to reflect on his or her own performance. Faculty need to be sensitive to the student’s needs, emphasizing the student’s strengths as well as weaknesses and encouraging goals and aspirations.
Working with Students for Questionable Performance and Supporting at Risk Students
Developing a positive learning environment is a fundamental step in promoting positive, supportive student learning relationships. Students have the right to expect respect. Pointing out areas in which students need to improve and specific ways to achieve clinical goals promotes a positive learning environment and minimizes potential legal risks.
Scanlan (2001) discusses the importance of clarifying definitions of
safe and unsafe clinical practices and having clear policies and guidelines for
working with “problem” students.
School policies can indicate minimum safety competencies that need to be achieved in the learning laboratory before a student moves into the actual clinical setting. Students’ behaviors that put patients at safety risk also typically put students at risk for failing.
The need exists for further discussions about the culture of safety, which includes discussing and learning from mistakes, rather than being punitive (Tanicala, Barbara, Scheffer, & Roberts, 2011). Zuzelo (2000) summarizes the following key points, which, although relevant to all evaluations, have merit in evaluating a student with questionable clinical performance behaviors.
1: Ensure that the criteria for student success (i.e., the written course objectives or competency statements) are clear to all parties.
2: If a student is at risk, objectively document a pattern of marginal or failing behavior.
3: Report poor performance to students as formative evaluation and provide students with opportunities for remedial work.
4: Use strategies such as clinical probation to support the at-risk student. Student clinical contracts can be used to document these plans for improvement. The written student contract should clarify student and faculty expectations and what student behaviors need to occur for passing status to be achieved.
5: Follow written procedures from school handbooks. Anecdotal records should be written objectively and used to document a pattern of behavior. Failing behaviors need to be identified in writing and a contract for corrections should be signed by the faculty member and the student (Osinski, 2003).
An annotated record of each counseling session and student evaluation should be signed by both the student and the faculty member and maintained by the faculty member.