Assessment of learning in contemporary nurse education: Do we need standardised examination for nurse registration?

Abstract

In Australia and Norway final examinations to determine eligibility for registration as a nurse were discontinued during the period when nurse education moved into the higher education sector. In response to recent calls for the reintroduction of final examinations we explore the range of knowledge needs for the practice of nursing. These various forms of knowledge demand different forms of mediation and acquisition as well as assessment. There are numerous problems identified in the literature about the shortcomings of examinations as the foundation of assessing clinically based professions. There is a need to develop systems of appropriate assessment to ensure that graduates of nursing demonstrate adequate knowledge and competence to enter their profession.

When practice precedes theory – A mixed methods evaluation of students' learning experiences in an undergraduate study program in nursing

“…However, variation among students as well as variability in types of knowledge demands different forms of mediation and acquisition. Relationships between knowledge and individual must be more intimate than that seen in classical theories of knowledge, where objectivity and generalization are central (Wellard et al, 2007). In vocational education, key knowledge and skills must be acquired through activity.…”

Becoming a professional: What is the influence of registered nurses on nursing students' learning in the clinical environment?

“…This shift in educational thinking was very possibly due to concerns raised in the early to mid nineties by authors such as Girot (1993a) who had highlighted concerns about the perceived lack of rigour in assessing nursing students within the clinical environment. Wellard et al (2006) over ten years later, continued the debate and identified the need to,…”

Implementation and student evaluation of clinical final examination in nursing education

“…From the students' perspective, the assessments validate their progress through the program, and assessment therefore becomes a motivating force for student learning (Shumway and Harden, 2003). The complexity of the knowledge needed to ensure safe and effective nursing practice requires the development of multiple assessment approaches (Wellard et al, 2007). The present study describes implementation and evaluation of a model of clinical final examinations in nursing education.…”

“…Assessment of student learning in clinical education is undertaken for a number of reasons: to ascertain that students have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills prior to graduation and to measure preparedness and judgment to ensure effective, safe and ethical patient care (Walsh and Seldomridge, 2005;Wellard et al, 2007). The challenge is to develop assessments in clinical settings to determine whether students have acquired the skills and attributes required in relation to the goal-oriented programs.…”