Criteria and Rubric Development

The assessment strategy for the Advanced Pediatric Nursing course provides a comprehensive approach meant to determine student knowledge and skills in pediatric nursing. Designed to measure learning in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, evaluations can include written exams, case studies, and even clinical skills tests (Carpenter, 2022). By aligning the course learning objectives and maintaining high validity and reliability standards of this assessment, it can be guaranteed that students are well prepared for the pediatric nursing practice and address the key program outcomes of the Nurse Residency Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Description of Assessment Method

The tool employed to measure course learning outcomes for Advanced Pediatric Nursing was a clinical simulation exercise tailored to various learning outcomes. The nurse residents need to apply their knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and judgment in various learner activities that emulate real-life pediatric nursing situations to provide the correct intervention (Øvrebø et al., 2022). By the use of simulation exercises, the nursing residents will be acquainted with various clinical situations that are characteristic of pediatric nursing practice. 

Through this evaluation, it will be possible for nurse residents to showcase that they have grasped important learning objectives as a way of demonstrating mastery in the relevant areas such as application of advanced nursing treatment, creation of research-based care plans, and pediatric patients with complex health condition assessments (Veazie et al., 2022). Aside from critical thinking and active learning, the simulation exercise assists the nursing residents in realizing the areas for development.

Arguably, the assessment presents itself as a form of simulation that encapsulates the challenges involving pediatric nursing practice to provide a genuine learning experience that can meet the needs of the learners. This study also found that participation in clinical experiences can improve competence, confidence, and clinical judgment skills among the participants. 

Steps in Assembling and Administrating Tests

While developing tests for observable learning outcomes for certain units, several critical steps have to be taken to establish authenticity, accuracy, and impartiality in testing.

Defining Learning Outcomes

The first one is to give clear accounts of the learning accomplishments that will be measured as well as ensure that they align with the goals of the subject together with the competencies required of the learners  (Abbasi et al., 2023). When learning outcomes have been defined the next step is to come up with test items that are likely to measure the outcomes effectively.

Developing Test Items

The first procedure in constructing test items is to develop clear, precise questions or statements for the test that are indicative of the objectives of learning. It’s advisable that each test item developed targets a particular knowledge area or a particular skill and each test item should call out the particular learning objective that it seeks to assess. It is crucial to take into account the cognitive level of the learning results and to make sure that the exam items match this level, if the learning outcomes include, for example, knowledge recall, application of concepts, or analysis and evaluation of information.

Refining Test Items

However, they have to be reviewed by educators to analyze if the questions are correctly set, easily understandable, and whether they meet the required criteria of the specific topic that has been set (Veazie et al., 2022). If the quality of the assessment tool is to be safeguarded, input should be sought from advisors including subject specialists, instructional designers, or academics.

Administration Process

Once the instrument is constructed and refined, the process of test administration is then initiated  (Abbasi et al., 2023). This means providing directions to the test takers, maintaining the testing environment conducive to concentration, and conducting and offering the test under the plan and time set. Ensuring the security and integrity of tests when administering them is crucial to eliminating cheating and other forms of substandard performance.

Knowledge Gaps and Areas of Uncertainty

It signifies that an evaluation could be fraught with knowledge deficiencies, unknown factors, or regions of doubt despite meticulous strategizing and implementation (Carpenter, 2022). For instance, additional research and evaluation could be required to identify the optimal proportion of mixed-form tests or specific types of question forms such as multiple choice, short answer, or essays that can be used to measure learning achievement. 

Assessing Learning in Cognitive, Psychomotor, and Affective Domains

Cognitive Domain

Formal examinations, case analyses, and other reflective writings are frequently adopted for knowledge assessment as well as cognitive skills of knowledge application, problem-solving, and decision-making. Such assessments demonstrate the student’s ability to apply theories learned in performing practical assignments, critically evaluate information sources, and make sound clinical decisions.

Psychomotor Domain

Psychomotor skills designated for assessment relate to the physical capabilities and skills required to be a nurse. These include OSCE assessments, simulations, and real-life observation during clinical placements (Veazie et al., 2022). In this domain, assessments may involve checking competency in performing tasks from the theoretical aspect, such as wound care, administration of medication, or patient assessment, to confirm that the student can effectively implement their knowledge in their clinical practice.

Affective Domain

Emotional domain assessments focus on students’ emotions, beliefs, and approaches to interpersonal relations all important for patient care delivery at its best. Students’ professionalism, empathy, and communication with others can be evaluated by reflective diaries, peer assessments, and self-evaluation (Abbasi et al., 2023). These assessments demonstrate students’ abilities to care for and interact with patients, collaborate and communicate with other healthcare workers, and provide culturally sensitive care within the nursing profession.

Knowledge Gaps and Areas of Uncertainty 

There are no measures of higher-order cognitive skills that encompass synthesis and appraisal skills, which written exams cannot support. In other words, for assessing psychomotor skills in various educational settings, specific assessment instruments and benchmark measures are also required (Paul et al., 2023). More research and development should be conducted on culture-fair and culture-sensitive assessment in the affective domain to provide more fairness to students and objective assessment of their attitudes and values. 

Performance-Level Criteria

Achievement level test criteria are mandatory in the assessment of the student’s achievement, appropriate remarks also have to be provided. For this purpose, it may be beneficial to construct these requirements hierarchically to help distinguish between various skill levels. The criteria have been highlighted depending on certain expectations of an increase in capabilities or competencies over time.

That is why, assessment criteria have been developed to look at several performance characteristics related to the course of Advanced Pediatric Nursing (Enoch et al., 2022). Some of these aspects include pediatric assessment and evaluation, development of an evidence-based care plan, identification of intervention strategies, psychosocial themes appreciation, communication and collaboration with other medical caregivers, and general pediatric evaluation. They are meant to facilitate the achievement of an assessment of the learner’s competence in the areas that are core to pediatric nursing practice. 

Communication of Grading Expectations

For performance expectations and assessments to be comprehensible to the students, they need to be educated on grading standards at the onset of the class. This can be done in a variety of ways such as curriculum accompanied by verbal directions during orientation sessions, and written directions provided along with assignments and tests (Paul et al., 2023). Grade expectations should provide the standards for every accomplishment level and the parameters through which performance has to be evaluated. This will guarantee comprehension. It is also good to include samples of the rubrics of different assessment activities giving the superior, proficient, minimum, and non-acceptable level of accomplishment. One can attempt to utilize facets such as accuracy, completeness, coherence, conformity to standards, and critical thinking to assist in the clarification of what grading entails. Learners can direct their efforts more efficiently if they know the specifications and can state the criteria. 

Process of Checking Validity and Reliability of Assessment

Determining Validity

Another method that is widely practiced to ensure validity is known as content validity. It entails the process of making sure that the assessment is comprehensive enough to cover the topic domain in which it will be measured (Øvrebø et al., 2022). One way of doing it is to use expert review, where assessment items are checked with relevant experts to make sure that they adequately test the coverage and difficulty of the content under study and meet the learning outcomes.

Determining Reliability

Inter-test reliability is the process of conducting the same experiment again and again and then measuring and comparing the reliability of tests (Lee et al., 2022). Another approach to determining score consistencies when scores are reviewed by other assessors is inter-rater dependability.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Processes

Overall, the content validity helped in widening the evaluation relevance and importance by ensuring that the assessment is reflective of the content domain (Dodson et al., 2023). It may be prejudiced, however, if the specialists chosen for the assessment do not include a balanced representation of experts in the field of study. Criterion validity presupposes that the assessment is predictive and valid at the same time, although access to the additional criteria cannot always be obtained. Examples of such limitations include practice effects and rating subjectivity.

Conclusion

It is one of the most important ways to ensure that nurse residents are prepared to face the difficulties arising from practicing pediatric nursing through the Advanced Pediatric Nursing course assessment (Enoch et al., 2022). This evaluation fosters skilled and caring pediatric nurses by employing various effective assessment techniques in line with the course and the program results. Thus, the commitment to patient outcomes, as well as the ambition to enhance the quality of educational programs and set a higher bar for child nursing, is exhibited by the program’s capacity for assessment.

References

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Carpenter A. E. (2022). The development and implementation of a postgraduate pediatric primary care advanced practice nursing fellowship. Journal of pediatric health care : official publication of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners, 36(5), 474–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2022.04.005

Dodson, S., Spriggs, S., Calabrese, R., Chambers, S., Matthews, M., Sankar, C., Schaefer, A., Swanson-Fischer, C., Crawford, D., Umanah, G., & Benson, R. T. (2023). Analysis of NINDS Health Disparities and Health Equity Research Portfolio, 2016-2020: Results and a process for transparency, accuracy, and reliability. Neurology, 101(7 Suppl 1), S82–S91. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207569

Enoch, L. C., Abraham, R. M., & Singaram, V. S. (2022). A comparative analysis of the impact of online blended, and face-to-face learning on medical students’ clinical competency in the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domains. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 753. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03777-x

Lee, G. B., & Chiu, A. M. (2022). Assessment and feedback methods in competency-based medical education. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Official Publication of The American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, 128(3), 256–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2021.12.010

Øvrebø, L. J., Dyrstad, D. N., & Hansen, B. S. (2022). Assessment methods and tools to evaluate postgraduate critical care nursing students’ competence in clinical placement. An integrative review. Nurse Education in Practice, 58, 103258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103258

Paul, U. K., & Paul, P. (2023). Evaluation of changes in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learning following an interprofessional intervention for malaria and its control among the Bedia tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, in rural Eastern India. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 12(12), 3079–3085. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2453_22

Veazie, S., Peterson, K., Bourne, D., Anderson, J., Damschroder, L., & Gunnar, W. (2022). Implementing high-reliability organization principles into practice: A rapid evidence review. Journal of patient safety, 18(1), e320–e328. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000768