Nursing students' and preceptors' perceptions of using a revised assessment form in clinical nursing education

Assessing the Competence of Nursing Students in Clinical Practice: The Clinical Preceptors' Perspective

Nursing students' integration of theoretical knowledge and practical abilities is facilitated by their practice of nursing skills in a clinical environment. A key role of preceptors is to assess the learning goals that nursing students must meet while participating in clinical practice. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to explore the current evidence in relation to competency assessment and assessment approaches, and the willingness of preceptors for assessing nursing students' competency in a clinical setting. The scoping review used the five-stage methodological framework that was developed by Arksey and O'Malley, as well as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. Relevant studies were searched by applying a comprehensive literature search strategy up to April 2024 across the following databases: CINAHL, OVID MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PUBMED. A total of 11,297 studies published between 2000 and April 2024 were revealed, and 38 were eligible for inclusion, which the research team categorised into three main themes: definitions of competence, tools for assessing competence and preceptors' and mentors' viewpoints in relation to the assessment of nursing students' competence. This review established that there are a multitude of quantitative instruments available to assess clinical competence; however, a lack of consistency among assessment instruments and approaches between countries and higher education institutions is prevalent. Existing research evidence suggests that the preceptors carried out the assessment process clinically and they found difficulties in documenting assessment. The assessing of nursing students' competency and the complexity of assessment is a concern for educators and mentors worldwide. The main concern centers around issues such as the interpretation of competence and complex measurement tools.

A Technology-Supported Guidance Model to Increase the Flexibility, Quality, and Efficiency of Nursing Education in Clinical Practice in Norway: Development Study of the TOPP-N Application Prototype

BACKGROUND

The challenges of nursing shortage in the nursing profession and of limited nursing educational capacity in nursing education in clinical practice need to be addressed to ensure supply according to the demand of these professionals. In addition, communication problems among nursing students, nurse educators, and nurse preceptors; variations in the guidance competence of nurse preceptors; and limited overview from nurse educators on nursing students' clinical practice are common challenges reported in several research studies. These challenges affect the quality of nursing education in clinical practice, and even though these problems have been highlighted for several years, a recent study showed that these problems are increasing. Thus, an approach is required to ensure the quality of nursing education in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to develop a guidance and assessment application to meet the challenges reported in clinical practice. The application intended to increase the flexibility, quality, and efficiency of nursing education in clinical practice. Furthermore, it intended to increase interactive communication that supports guidance and ensure structured evaluation of nursing students in clinical practice.

METHODS

This study employed a multidisciplinary user-participatory design. Overall, 23 stakeholders from the project team (ie, 5 researchers, 2 software developers, 1 pedagogical advisor, and 15 user representatives [4 educators, 6 preceptors, and 5 students]) participated in a user-centered development process that included workshops, intervention content development, and prototype testing.

RESULTS

This study resulted in the creation of the Technology-Optimized Practice Process in Nursing (TOPP-N) guidance and assessment application for use as a supportive tool for nursing students, nurse preceptors, and nurse educators in clinical practice. The development process included the application's name and logo, technical architecture, guidance and assessment module, and security and privacy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study offers insights into the development of an evidence-based technological tool to support nursing students, nurse preceptors, and nurse educators in clinical practice. Furthermore, the developed application has the potential to meet several challenges reported in nursing education in clinical practice. After a rigorous development process, we believe that the TOPP-N guidance and assessment application prototype is now ready to be tested in further intervention studies.

A supportive clinical learning environment for undergraduate students in health sciences: An integrative review

BACKGROUND

The clinical learning environment is a platform where theory and practice should be integrated in a safe environment. However, many students experience the clinical learning environment as "stress provoking", because this environment is not always supportive.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the article is to report on a study that synthesized the evidence on strategies for providing a supportive clinical learning environment for undergraduate students in health sciences.

DESIGN

The integrative review followed the methodology of Whittemore and Knafl (2005).

DATA SOURCES AND REVIEW METHODS

We searched MEDLINE with Full Text, CINAHL with Full Text, Academic Search Ultimate, PsycINFO, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, ERIC, Africa-Wide Information, OpenDissertations, CAB Abstracts, MasterFILE Premier, SocINDEX with Full Text, SPORTDiscus with Full Text and PsycARTICLES. Other data sources included grey literature and reference lists. The filtering process, quality appraisal and data extraction were carried out by at least two independent reviewers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

The search yielded 500 studies, of which nine studies met the inclusion criteria. The generated data culminated in a clinical learning environment mindmap that highlights, firstly, a network of carefully selected supporters who may have specific clinical responsibilities while supporting undergraduate students in clinical learning. Secondly, the relationship between the student, student supporter and clinical staff should create a sense of belonging, self-efficacy and self-directedness. This relationship is influenced by the roster, the ratio of students to student supporters, and appropriate learning opportunities. Thirdly, higher education institutions and healthcare providers should support students and student supporters through formal partnerships.

CONCLUSIONS

The synthesis of the evidence provided new insights regarding creating and maintaining supportive clinical learning environment strategies for undergraduate students in health sciences. These strategies may be implemented in innovative ways to provide students with the best clinical learning opportunities.

Exploring the formal assessment discussions in clinical nursing education: An observational study

Introduction

According to EU standards, 50% of the bachelor education program in nursing should take place in clinical learning environments. Consequently, this calls for high quality supervision, where appropriate assessment strategies are vital to optimize students’ learning, growth, and professional development. Despite this, little is known about the formal assessment discussions taking place in clinical nursing education.

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of the formal assessment discussions taking place during first-year students’ clinical education in nursing homes.

Method

An exploratory qualitative study was performed. The data consist of passive participant observations of 24 assessment discussions (12 mid-term and 12 final assessments) with first-year nursing students (n=12), their assigned registered nurse mentors (n=12) and nurse educators (n=5). The study was conducted in three public nursing homes in a single Norwegian municipality. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings were reported using the Standards for Reporting of Qualitative Research.

Results

Three themes were identified regarding the characteristics of the formal assessment discussions: (1) adverse variability in structuring, weighting of theoretical content and pedagogical approach; (2) limited three-part dialogue constrains feedback and reflection; and (3) restricted grounds for assessment leave the nurse educators with a dominant role.

Conclusion

These characteristic signal key areas of attention to improve formal assessment discussions to capitalize on unexploited learning opportunities.

Nursing Students’ Perception of Clinical Teaching and Learning in Ghana: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Background

Clinical teaching and learning are critical in bridging the theory-practice gap in nursing education. This study aimed at exploring nursing students' perception of clinical teaching and learning in Ghana. In particular, this study sought to (1) describe the factors that promote clinical teaching, (2) examine students' perception of clinical teaching, (3) describe the impact of clinical learning on students, and (4) explore ways of improving clinical teaching and learning.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted with 16 final-year nursing students using telephone-based interviews. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with a semistructured interview guide, and data were analysed by the qualitative thematic analysis.

Results

The findings indicate that being taught new things, being supervised, and having autonomy were the most significant factors that promoted clinical learning. Participants also reported that clinical experience created learning opportunities that helped develop clinical competence. They described learning experiences in the clinical setting as good, albeit gaps in practice. Poor staff attitude, lack of equipment, poor student attitude, inadequate learning opportunities, and lack of clinical supervisors were perceived as challenges in the clinical environment.

Conclusions

Efforts to consciously teach, supervise, and challenge students to have independence in the clinical area will promote clinical teaching and learning. Therefore, nursing educational institutions and all other stakeholders need to collaborate in eliminating the numerous challenges students encounter in the clinical environment.

'Working as a Real Nurse': Nursing Students' Experiences of a Clinical Education Ward in Psychiatric Care

Although the concept of clinical education wards has shown encouraging outcomes regarding nursing students' satisfaction with clinical placements in somatic care, the existing research in a psychiatric context is sparse. This study aims to explore nursing students' experience during clinical education at a psychiatric clinical education ward. A qualitive descriptive study with content analysis, using interviews with 16 bachelor's degree nursing students was conducted. The results indicated that an enriched and adapted learning environment focusing on psychiatric nursing with peer learning supported independence and progression into the future nursing role.

Challenges in the assessment of nursing students in clinical placements: Exploring perceptions among nurse mentors

AIM

The aim was to explore how nurse mentors experience the assessment of nursing students in clinical placements at hospitals and in municipal health care.

DESIGN

The study is qualitative with an explorative and descriptive design.

METHODS

Based on an interview guide, we conducted 19 individual qualitative interviews and four focus group interviews with nurse mentors from various levels and fields of nursing education at a Norwegian university.

RESULTS

Feedback in and on action was an integrated part of the formative assessment. In the summative assessment, where the university lecturer also participates, the nurse mentors perceived their role as passive. A disturbing finding was that divergent views on the student's competence sometimes occurred in these situations, thus challenging the credibility of the student assessment. Perceptions of nursing values and concerns embedded in nursing practice as collective criteria appear to have an impact on the mentors' assessment of the nursing students.

Integrating Peer Learning Activities and Problem-Based Learning in Clinical Nursing Education

INTRODUCTION

The implementation of nursing clinical learning in Indonesia has several challenges that require innovation in the learning method strategy. The method that has been used so far focuses on the hierarchical relationship between lecturers/preceptors and students, so that there are many shortcomings in learning outcomes. The application of the method of active learning with Peer Learning (PL) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) techniques has proven effective in classroom learning, but its rarely found in clinical learning.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the PL and PBL towards the achievement of clinical learning in nursing students.

METHODS

The research method used a true experiment with a posttest only control group design, the sampling technique was taken by randomize control trial. An instrument for clinical learning achievement using AssCE.

RESULTS

The analysis was carried out as descriptive and bivariate. The results showed the mean in the experimental group was 7.059 and the control group was 6.325. Further statistical test results were obtained p-value = 0.001 (p < 0.05) which showed that the average score there were differences in clinical learning achievement development scores.

CONCLUSION

Clinical learning using peer learning and PBL methods can directly improve various aspects of student competency achievement.

Nursing students' perception of the clinical learning environment and supervision in relation to two different supervision models - a comparative cross-sectional study

Background

Knowledge concerning nursing students' experiences of the clinical learning environment and how supervision is carried out is largely lacking. This study compares nursing students' perceptions of the clinical learning environment and supervision in two different supervision models: peer learning in student-dedicated units, with students working together in pairs and supervised by a "preceptor of the day" (model A), and traditional supervision, in which each student is assigned to a personal preceptor (model B).

Methods

The study was performed within the nursing programme at a university college in Sweden during students' clinical placements (semesters 3 and 4) in medical and surgical departments at three different hospitals. Data was collected using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher evaluation scale, CLES+T, an instrument tested for reliability and validity, and a second instrument developed for this study to obtain deeper information regarding how students experienced the organisation and content of the supervision. Independent t-tests were used for continuous variables, Mann-Whitney U-tests for ordinal variables, and the chi-square or Fischer's exact tests for categorical variables.

Results

Overall, the students had positive experiences of the clinical learning environment and supervision in both supervision models. Students supervised in model A had more positive experiences of the cooperation and relationship between student, preceptor, and nurse teacher, and more often than students in model B felt that the ward had an explicit model for supervising students. Students in model A were more positive to having more than one preceptor and felt that this contributed to the assessment of their learning outcomes.

Conclusions

A good learning environment for students in clinical placements is dependent on an explicit structure for receiving students, a pedagogical atmosphere where staff take an interest in supervision of students and are easy to approach, and engagement among and collaboration between preceptors and nurse teachers. This study also indicates that supervision based on peer learning in student-dedicated rooms with many preceptors can be more satisfying for students than a model where each student is assigned to a single preceptor.

Psychometric testing of the Caring Behaviors Inventory for nursing students

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To test the psychometric properties of the nursing students' version of the 24-item Caring Behaviours Inventory.

BACKGROUND

Caring is at the heart of nursing and should also be a core value in nursing education. Caring can be manifested through measurable behaviours. The Caring Behaviors Inventory is a valid and reliable measure of nurses' caring behaviours in clinical settings. It has already been used among nursing students, but it needs more psychometric testing.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional validation study.

METHOD

The questionnaire was filled in by 300 undergraduate nursing students at two Italian universities in May 2016. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using Mplus maximum likelihood with GEOMIN oblique rotation. A multifaceted approach was used to evaluate the model fit. The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was followed.

RESULTS

Four dimensions were identified: "being with," "doing with competence," "responding to individual needs" and "providing effective care." Adequate fit indices and high reliability of the factors were found. Correlations between factors were positive and significant.

CONCLUSION

This study makes it possible to use the same tool to compare the caring practices perceived by students, nurses and patients. Further studies with bigger samples could be stratified to investigate the associations between caring levels and student characteristics. The Caring Behaviors Inventory can be used to call attention to caring in nursing education, helping to make this concept less elusive.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The effective self-assessment of nursing students' caring behaviours offers opportunities for reflection on their caring practice. This could improve the caring level of their behaviours in clinical practice and help them to become caring nurses in the future.

Lecturers' reflection on the three-part assessment discussions with students and preceptors during clinical practice education: A repeated group discussion study

Assessment of students' learning and achievement requires active involvement of participating students, preceptors and lecturers. The lecturers have overall responsibility for both the content of the assessment and students' learning. The aim of the present study was to investigate lecturers' reflections on the mid-course discussion and final assessment that are part of nursing students' clinical practice education. The design was descriptive and had a qualitative approach. Repeated group discussions were undertaken with 14 lecturers at two university campuses in Norway. Five categories were identified: preparing for the three-part discussion, creating a collaborative atmosphere, facilitating student learning, verifying student learning, using the assessment tool to create the assessment discussion; one theme emerged: 'being able to see and justify students' learning processes'. Lecturers' reflections on both assessment discussions and students' learning proceeded from a clear pedagogical viewpoint.

The visibility of QSEN competencies in clinical assessment tools in Swedish nurse education

BACKGROUND

Prospective nurses need specific and sufficient knowledge to be able to provide quality care. The Swedish Society of Nursing has emphasized the importance of the six quality and safety competencies (QSEN), originated in the US, in Swedish nursing education.

PURPOSE

To investigate the visibility of the QSEN competencies in the assessment tools used in clinical practice METHOD: A quantitative descriptive method was used to analyze assessment tools from 23 universities.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Teamwork and collaboration was the most visible competency. Patient-centered care was visible to a large degree but was not referred to by name. Informatics was the least visible, a notable concern since all nurses should be competent in informatics to provide quality and safety in care. These results provide guidance as academic and clinical programs around the world implement assessment of how well nurses have developed these essential quality and safety competencies.

Nursing students' and preceptors' experience of assessment during clinical practice: A multilevel repeated-interview study of student-preceptor dyads

Nursing students' learning process during clinical practice is dependent on the quality of their assessment, and the feedback that is given, however an issue that is very little examined. The aim of this study was to investigate student-preceptor dyads and their experiences of mid-course discussions and final assessment. Data were collected through repeated semi-structured individual interviews with 13 dyads close in time to the assessment discussions, and were analyzed by searching for similarities and differences in their experiences. Both students and preceptors shared the view that the preparations before the discussions caused uncertainty, but they described different reasons. Both students and preceptors meant that the assessment tool was used in a structured way. The feedback mediated to students emphasized what was important to concentrate on in the next part or next period, but less about the individual students' progress. The student-preceptor dyads did not share the view of what content had been in focus in the discussions and there were variations in the details. Conclusions can be drawn that one of the crucial elements of an assessment discussion, to give students constructive feedback in relation to learning outcomes, was not fulfilled.

Nursing students' perceptions of using the Clinical Education Assessment tool AssCE and their overall perceptions of the clinical learning environment - A cross-sectional correlational study

BACKGROUND

Clinical education is a vital part of nursing students' learning; the importance of assessment tools and feedback in stimulating student learning has been stressed, but this needs to be studied in more detail.

OBJECTIVES

To examine relationships between nursing students' perceptions of using an Assessment tool in Clinical Education (AssCE) during their mid-course discussion and final assessment, the content discussed during these meetings between the student, preceptor and nurse teacher and the students' overall perception of the clinical learning environment.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, correlational design was used.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 110 nursing students from one Norwegian university college with two campuses.

METHODS

Data were collected with self-developed questionnaires and analysed using logistic regression with SPSS and the PROCESS macro for mediation analysis.

RESULTS

There was a positive relationship between nursing students' perceptions of using the assessment tool AssCE and their overall perception of the clinical learning environment. This relationship was, in turn, mediated by the content discussed during the formative mid-course discussion and summative final assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our conclusion is that the assessment tool AssCE supported students' clinical learning and that this relationship, in turn, was mediated by the degree to which the conversation during the assessment meeting focused on the student's knowledge, skills and professional judgement.

Validation of the tool assessment of clinical education (AssCE): A study using Delphi method and clinical experts

The aim of the present study was to establish the validity of the tool Assessment of Clinical Education (AssCE). The tool is widely used in Sweden and some Nordic countries for assessing nursing students' performance in clinical education. It is important that the tools in use be subjected to regular audit and critical reviews. The validation process, performed in two stages, was concluded with a high level of congruence. In the first stage, Delphi technique was used to elaborate the AssCE tool using a group of 35 clinical nurse lecturers. After three rounds, we reached consensus. In the second stage, a group of 46 clinical nurse lecturers representing 12 universities in Sweden and Norway audited the revised version of the AssCE in relation to learning outcomes from the last clinical course at their respective institutions. Validation of the revised AssCE was established with high congruence between the factors in the AssCE and examined learning outcomes. The revised AssCE tool seems to meet its objective to be a validated assessment tool for use in clinical nursing education.

Development and psychometric testing of Holistic Clinical Assessment Tool (HCAT) for undergraduate nursing students

BACKGROUND

A major focus in nursing education is on the judgement of clinical performance, and it is a complex process due to the diverse nature of nursing practice. A holistic approach in assessment of competency is advocated. Difficulties in the development of valid and reliable assessment measures in nursing competency have resulted in the development of assessment instruments with an increase in face and content validity, but few studies have tested these instruments psychometrically. It is essential to develop a holistic assessment tool to meet the needs of the clinical education. The study aims to develop a Holistic Clinical Assessment Tool (HCAT) and test its psychometric properties.

METHODS

The HCAT was developed based on the systematic literature review and the findings of qualitative studies. An expert panel was invited to evaluate the content validity of the tool. A total of 130 final-year nursing undergraduate students were recruited to evaluate the psychometric properties (i.e. factor structure, internal consistency and test-retest reliability) of the tool.

RESULTS

The HCAT has good content validity with content validity index of .979. The exploratory factor analysis reveals a four-factor structure of the tool. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the HCAT are satisfactory with Cronbach alpha ranging from .789 to .965 and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient ranging from .881 to .979 for the four subscales and total scale.

CONCLUSIONS

HCAT has the potential to be used as a valid measure to evaluate clinical competence in nursing students, and provide specific and ongoing feedback to enhance the holistic clinical learning experience. In addition, HCAT functions as a tool for self-reflection, peer-assessment and guides preceptors in clinical teaching and assessment.

The perspectives of preceptors regarding clinical assessment for undergraduate nursing students

AIM

To explore the perspectives of preceptors about clinical assessment for undergraduate nursing students in transition to practice.

BACKGROUND

The assessment of clinical competence is a complex process due to the diverse nature of nursing practice. As such, nurse preceptors play a crucial role in clinical assessment for nursing students. Although preceptors may enjoy the process of clinical teaching and assessment, they face challenges that need to be addressed to facilitate students' clinical learning and assessment.

METHODS

An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted. A purposive sample of 17 preceptors from two tertiary hospitals in Singapore was recruited to participate in three focus group discussions from March to July 2014.

FINDINGS

Five themes emerged from the data analysis: the need for a valid and reliable clinical assessment tool; meaningful reflection and feedback; varied methods in clinical assessment; high level of commitment and struggles with dual roles and the need to enhance the support system for preceptors.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no doubt that a valid and reliable clinical assessment tool can serve as a guide for preceptors to enhance their clarity in assessment and feedback. It is essential for all stakeholders to be involved in the development of the clinical assessment tool. Workload, time, support system and formal educational programmes for preceptors influenced their preparation and self-confidence.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND/OR HEALTH POLICY

The themes that emerged from the focus group discussions could assist in the development of a more reliable and valid clinical assessment tool to evaluate the clinical competence of nursing students in transition to practice. Clinical and educational institutions could collaborate closely to develop an educational programme and a preceptorship handbook, focusing on pedagogical contents for clinical education and assessment.

Validation of the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool (ANSAT): A pilot study

BACKGROUND

Workplace-based learning and assessment are essential elements of all nursing education programs. There is, however, limited evidence of validity and reliability available regarding assessment instruments, based on the professional competency standards for nursing in Australia.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this project were to advance the assessment properties of a new instrument, the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool (ANSAT) and investigate the acceptability of this instrument when applied to the evaluation of the professional competence of nursing students in authentic practice settings.

METHODS

A validation study of ANSAT was conducted by 23 clinical assessors from two universities, completing 220 instruments for second and third year undergraduate nursing students undertaking clinical placement in an authentic practice setting. 'Think Aloud' interviews and a post-test survey provided additional data to determine the validity and acceptability of the ANSAT. The pilot study occurred in parallel with completion of existing university assessment instruments.

RESULTS

Principal components analysis extracted one factor: professional practice competence. Comparison of total instrument scores between year levels demonstrated a significant difference in each of the clinical domains (p=0.000), suggesting that the instrument is sensitive to differing levels of performance across different year levels. The ANSAT demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.976. Post-test evaluation completed by assessors demonstrated high usability and acceptability for use in common practice settings.

DISCUSSION

Results of the pilot study provided preliminary support for the ANSAT instrument. It is recommended that testing of the instrument be undertaken on a larger cohort to ensure the generalisability of the findings to other nursing populations.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for valid and reliable instruments that assess the performance of nursing in the authentic practice setting. With the addition of supportive behavioural cues, the ANSAT enables clarity, consistency and collaboration in workplace-based assessment.

Nursing students' experiences with the use of authentic assessment rubric and case approach in the clinical laboratories

BACKGROUND

One current challenge for nurse educators is to examine effective nursing assessment tools which integrate nursing knowledge into practice. Authentic assessment allows nursing students to apply knowledge to real-life experiences. Contextualized cases have engaged students for preparation of diverse clinical situations and develop critical thinking skills.

AIM

This study aimed to explore nursing students' experiences and learning outcomes with the use of an authentic assessment rubric and a case approach.

METHODS

An exploratory qualitative approach using focus-group discussions and an open-ended survey was adopted. Sixteen nursing students participated in three focus-group discussions and 39 nursing students completed an open-ended survey.

RESULTS

Nursing students noted that an authentic assessment rubric with a case approach provided clarity for their learning goals; built confidence; developed knowledge, skill competencies and critical thinking skills; increased awareness of caring attributes and communication skills; and enriched and extended learning through self-, peer- and teacher-assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide rich insights for nurse educators and curriculum developers in the use of an authentic assessment rubric and a case approach in nursing education.

Svensk översättning, kvalitativ relevansvärdering och kvantitativ reliabilitetstestning av Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric

Newly graduated nurses show lacking skills and competences regarding the ability to make appropriate clinical assessment of acute, complex care situations. There is also a lack of translated, qualitative relevance-evaluated and reliability-tested rubrics in the Swedish language. The purpose of this method article was to translate, and conduct a relevance evaluation and reliability test of the identified Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). In this article, the Swedish translation LCJR (S) is presented. The results showed that the LCJR (S) was both qualitatively relevant and quantitatively reliable. We claim that there are several advantages to systematic use LCJR (S) for assessment of nursing students’ clinical judgement in laboratory simulation environments with acute patient situations.

A systematic review of clinical assessment for undergraduate nursing students

BACKGROUND

Consolidated clinical practicum prepares pre-registration nursing students to function as beginning practitioners. The clinical competencies of final-year nursing students provide a key indication of professional standards of practice and patient safety. Thus, clinical assessment of nursing students is a crucial issue for educators and administrators.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to explore the clinical competency assessment for undergraduate nursing students.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and EBSCO were systematically searched from January 2000 to December 2013.

METHODS

The systematic review was in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Published quantitative and qualitative studies that examined clinical assessment practices and tools used in clinical nursing education were retrieved. Quality assessment, data extraction, and analysis were completed on all included studies.

RESULTS

This review screened 2073 titles, abstracts and full-text records, resulting in 33 included studies. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the included studies. Fourteen quantitative and qualitative studies were identified for this evaluation. The evidence was ordered into emergent themes; the overarching themes were current practices in clinical assessment, issues of learning and assessment, development of assessment tools, and reliability and validity of assessment tools.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to develop a holistic clinical assessment tool with reasonable level of validity and reliability. Clinical assessment is a robust activity and requires collaboration between clinical partners and academia to enhance the clinical experiences of students, the professional development of preceptors, and the clinical credibility of academics.