Role of Faculty In Nursing 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.
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.