ADN faculty members have designed evaluation tools and grading procedures giving special attention to clarity and consistency of the process. These procedures are published in the ADN Student Handbook, available onsite,and also in each course syllabus. Methods for grading within the nursing courses are both formative and summative in nature. Methodologies and tools selected for evaluation of student achievement reflect classroom and clinical objectives and build toward program outcomes. These
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tools may include unit examinations, a comprehensive final examinations, quizzes, projects, simulated skills examinations, nursing care plans, clinical preparation worksheets, teaching projects, interaction papers, standardized comprehensive examinations and the clinical evaluation document. Feedback to students regarding their progress in each course is completed both formally and informally at frequent intervals through one on one conferences with faculty on campus and/or in the clinical settings or by e- mail.
Unit and final examinations contain scenario-based items in multiple choice format. Each course with a clinical component, except Role Transformation, has a skills evaluation during the first few weeks to maintain students skills competency. The method of skills testing varies by each course depending on skills likely to be utilized during the course or new skills relevant to the course. Human Patient Simulators are used to reinforce and evaluate selected clinical skills. Major papers and projects assigned in each course are designed to promote the application of clinical concepts taught in class.
NUR 1210C Adult Health Nursing I began using a specialty HESI examination as a final
examination in summer 2010. NUR 1521C Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing and NUR 2421C Nursing Care of Women and Infants began to use the HESI examination as a final examination in spring 2011. In spring term 2011, NUR 2421C, Nursing Care of Women and Infants began a pilot study ofcomputerized testing for unit examinations. The spring 2011 pilot of electronic testing has both advantages and disadvantages as reported by the ADN faculty and nursing students. The primary advantage is convenience for students and the primary disadvantage is the inordinate amount of time required for faculty to implement. ADN faculty decided to not implement course level electronic testing.
At the end of each course with a clinical component, students and faculty complete a clinical evaluation tool (available on site). This tool identifies each student’s areas of strengths and weaknesses,
based on satisfactory or unsatisfactory clinical performance. Once completed, the individual student and faculty member meet in private to review the document. Two or more areas of identified unsatisfactory clinical performance result in a clinical failure, requiring the student to repeat both theory and clinical components of that course. Critical thinking and use of the nursing process is analyzed throughout the nursing program through the use of nursing care plans or interaction papers (examples available on site) in clinical based courses.
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During Role Transformation, all students participate in a HESI NCLEX Review Course and are then required to take the Comprehensive HESI Exit Exam. If the HESI Exit Exam (predictive of success on the RN_NCLEX) total score is below 850 points, (a score rated as acceptable by HESI) the student must complete a remediation plan before the end of the next semester and retake the examination. The student will only be allowed to take the exam twice during the course in order to obtain this 850 or higher score. If the student still fails to achieve the required 850 by the second attempt, the student will receive a grade of Incomplete and will not be eligible to graduate. The student will be given an opportunity to take the HESI Exit Examination for a third time during the following semester. If the student fails the exam on the third attempt, this will result in a course failure and the student will have to repeat Role
Transformation. This protocol is clearly outlined within the course syllabus and is verbally reviewed with students at the beginning of the course.
Each course is evaluated by students at the end of each term with a program specific instrument as well as the college-wide faculty evaluation tool, E-SIRS. Students evaluate the faculty as well as the course, textbook and classroom environment using the Course Evaluation tool. E-SIR results are received and reviewed by the Associate Dean. Results are discussed with individual faculty during the regularly scheduled performance evaluation. Faculty assigned to a course meet regularly during the term to review these evaluations and student progress and to make recommendations for improvement for the next term. Examination reviews are held by course faculty after each unit test and highly missed items are scrutinized for clarity and relevance. Ambiguous items are rewritten or replaced for future examinations.
Textbooks are reviewed by the course faculty on a regular basis. If a change of textbooks is recommended several textbooks are reviewed by students and faculty, and the final selection approved by the full faculty prior to implementation
At the end of the fourth semester, an open exit dialogue is held with students by the Associate Dean for the purpose of receiving students’ suggestions for improvement and identifying strengths and weaknesses of the program. At six months after graduation, graduates are sent the alumni follow-up survey to determine satisfaction with the program. Results of both the open exit dialogue and the follow- up surveys (available onsite)assist in driving program revision and enhancements.
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Criterion 4.6. The curriculum and instructional processes reflect educational theory,