Developing a clinical evaluation tool for nursing education
Creating a standardized approach to evaluating clinical learning outcomes in nursing education
Erin Patterson, School of Health & Life Sciences
About the project
This research focused on developing a valid and reliable tool to assess clinical learning outcomes for students in Conestoga’s Bachelor of Science – Nursing program. The project brought together faculty and health-care partners to identify key competencies and create a more consistent approach to clinical evaluation.
The challenge
Assessing clinical performance can be complex, with evaluation methods sometimes varying between assessors and learning environments. The project sought to develop a standardized tool that supports fair, consistent, and evidence-informed assessment of student learning.
Approach
- Engaged nursing faculty and community partners through a series of workshops
- Identified core competencies and assessment criteria for clinical learning
- Collaboratively developed and refined evaluation measures
- Gathered stakeholder input to support practical implementation
- Established a framework for future testing and validation
Results
- Developed a clinical evaluation tool tailored to nursing education requirements
- Identified key competencies and assessment indicators through stakeholder engagement
- Strengthened partnerships between Conestoga and health-care organizations
- Created a foundation for future reliability and validity testing
- Generated interest from external partners in supporting continued development and evaluation
Why it matters
This project supports the advancement of evidence-informed assessment practices in nursing education. The work helps:
- Improve consistency in clinical evaluation
- Support student learning and professional development
- Strengthen collaboration between educational and health-care partners
- Inform future assessment practices and program development
- Contribute to ongoing improvements in nursing education and workforce preparation