Tag: nursing program evaluation

Highlights from the new NCSBN Report on Quality Indicators for Nursing Programs

By Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN

COVID-19 has changed how nurse educators prepare students for practice. The changes in the health care environment—and nursing specifically—over the last decade have given faculty numerous challenges: integration of important new content in an already “stuffed” curriculum, evolving expectations of students, parents and college administrators, and the difficulty in finding appropriate clinical sites and sufficient numbers of faculty. As if these challenges weren’t enough, now faculty must cope with an international pandemic that has huge implications personally and professionally. In addition to their other responsibilities, faculty now must prepare students for practice using masks, social distancing, and limited clinical sites-all while working from home!

One thing, however, has not changed. Continue reading “Highlights from the new NCSBN Report on Quality Indicators for Nursing Programs”

Why Effective Assessment is Important to Student Success

by Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN

Assessment, the starting point to an effective clinical judgment, is an important competency of nurses and other health care providers. When caring for patients, we use a wide range of assessment techniques, including review of the presenting complaint; health history; complete physical assessment; and family, social, and cultural history, to collect sufficient data to plan patient-centered care.  However, we all know that in certain clinical situations, a complete assessment is not an appropriate strategy, because of the patient’s condition and/or limited time and resources available.  In those situations, a focused assessment that delves into a specific identified problem or issue is more appropriate. Continue reading “Why Effective Assessment is Important to Student Success”

Analyzing the Problem: The First Step in Improving NCLEX First-Time Pass Rates

by Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN

The final results of first time NCLEX-pass rates are in—and you and your nursing faculty colleagues are concerned.  There has been a significant drop in the first-time pass rate of your program compared to the year before.  Inconsistent pass rates have occurred for the last ten years.  What can be done? Continue reading “Analyzing the Problem: The First Step in Improving NCLEX First-Time Pass Rates”