Clinical Evaluation and Final Evaluation of Student Learning Outcomes Policy
Berkshire Community College
Practical Nursing Program
Clinical Evaluation and Final Evaluation of Student Learning Outcomes Policy
Clinical Evaluation of student learning is conducted on an ongoing basis throughout each nursing course to assess how well the student is attaining the course and end-of-program student learning outcomes (EPSLOs) leveled for each course. The program utilizes the Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies (NOFNCC) as the essential framework for its EPSLOs.
Evaluation of the student’s achievement of course and end-of-program student learning outcomes occurs through the clinical evaluation process using the Clinical Evaluation Tool (CET). Faculty evaluate students daily on the clinical end of program student learning outcomes (EPSLOs) using a performance rubric. Students complete a weekly self-evaluation as well. Students will also be evaluated for overall performance at midterm to identify areas of concern Each competency is defined by essential elements that faculty believe to be essential to the attainment of its associated competency. The Expected Level of Achievement (ELA) of each essential element is leveled for each nursing course utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy to demonstrate progression of the knowledge, attitude and skills needed to attain the EPSLOs at the course level clearly outlining the expectations for student performance during clinical.
The Clinical Evaluation Tool (CET) and the Final Evaluation Summary (FES) are the methods used to assess the competencies in the clinical setting. The CET is used for daily and midterm evaluation. The FES is used for final clinical evaluation. The faculty version and student version of the tool are identical for evaluation purposes; the difference being the references to the author of the tool’s implementation.
The CET measures the attainment of each essential element, the associated competency and EPSLOs on a 1.0-5.0 Likert scale as follows:
5 Consistently meets all essential elements/competencies/EPSLOs
4 Meets most essential elements/competencies/EPSLOs
3 Developing skills to meet essential elements/competencies/EPSLOs
2 Needs improvement in meet essential elements/competencies/EPSLOs
1 Does not meet essential elements/competencies/EPSLOs
Students will receive a zero for absences but upon completion of their assigned makeup day will be evaluated according to performance on that day, thus replacing the zero scores.
The ELAs for each student learning outcome is a score of 4.0 out of a possible 5.0 on a Likert scale, equating to an 80%. Each week the scores for the essential elements are averaged to determine the overall score for its associated competency for that week. The weekly ELA for each competency is the achievement of a score of:
- 2.0 - 5.0 for week one through the week prior to midterm
- 3.0 - 5.0 at midterm
- 4.0 - 5.0 by the final week of the rotation for each competency
Faculty are required to comment on any rating (essential element and/or competency) of a 2.0 or below. Students are encouraged to comment on any rating (essential element and/or competency) of a 2.0 or below. A student who does not reach a score of 3.0 by midterm, on any of the competencies, is required to meet with the faculty, and together complete the Clinical Action Plan for Success form. This form is filed in the student’s folder per the student record policy.
The ELA in LPN 142 and LPN 152 for the FES is an average score of 4.0/5.0, for the last six weeks of the rotation for each competency. The final score for each competency is documented on the FES along with a summary evaluation of the student’s performance for the rotation.
In LPN 145 and LPN 162, which are primarily clinical practicums, faculty evaluate students every other clinical day for LPN145 and 10 times for LPN 162 on the end of program student learning outcomes. Students complete a self-evaluation as well. The ELA for the FES is an average score of 4.0/5.0, for each competency, for the CETs for LPN 145 at the conclusion of the rotation. The ELA for the LPN162 FES is an average score of 4.0/5.0, for each competency, after the 10 evaluations are averaged.
A comment section on the student CET and a feedback section on the faculty CET allow clinical faculty and student to enhance their feedback. There is a space to indicate that clinical faculty and/or the student are requesting a meeting with one another as needed.
A student who does not attain a score of at least 4.0/5.0, for each EPSLO, by the end of the clinical rotation, as indicated on the FES, will result in a clinical failure for that rotation.
The CET is managed electronically. Faculty and Students will log in using their unique Berkshire Community College credentials to ensure security.
The FES is hand signed by the clinical faculty and student before filing in the student record and is maintained in the student record per the student record policy.
Revised: PN Faculty Committee, 1/2/19, 11/20/19; Reviewed: 5/28/20; Revised: 12/3/20, 4/28/21, 8/16/21, 11/01/21, 04/25/22, 11/7/22; Reviewed 5/16/23