NR 525 Week 3 Case Study Discussion: Part II: Organizational Policy
NR525 Week 3
Part II: Organizational Policy
due date. The school has outlined the
... [Show More] importance of collaborative approach between the school and the student, with support for the failing student. “Sometimes students require a more focused support and planning to achieve required skills, competencies and confidence in practice” (Power & Albaradura, 2018 p. 615).
Power, A., & Albaradura, O. (2018). Supporting failing students: How collaboration is key. British Journal of Midwifery, 26(9), 615–617. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2018.26.9.615
(http Kathleen Brewer (Instructor)
Mar 21, 2019
Dear Loretta:
I enjoyed reading your post and thank you for sharing. I am impressed with this policy as it is quite comprehensively written. Also, it seems that the retake of the failed exam is quite generous. Nicely written.
Regards, Kathleen
(http Natalie Sander
(h5ps: /chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/40415/users/64460)
Mar 22, 2019
Loretta,
I think it is great that if the student fails an exam that they have to remediate with an instructor. I also think its helpful for them to be done in groups. The instructor has valuable information and techniques that might help the student be more successful. The instructor is always the one grading the skills exam, so they can help to identify what they are looking for when the student is performing the skill. Some of the policies that I have read through do not require the student to remediate with anyone, they just suggest that the student practices on their own. I think that the student should do some more on their own time to practice the school, but I think it would be beneficial for the student to learn from the instructor. I think it is very important for the school to support the student, especially those who might be struggling.
Thanks, Natalie
(http Cheryl Benne5
(h5ps: /chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/40415/users/47977)
Mar 23, 2019
Hi Loretta,
That really is a great policy! Very conclusive and leaves little room for interpretation regarding the expectations of the students. I personally believe that there should be some leniency when it comes to competencies in skills labs, because as we have learned, each student encompasses his own unique learning style, and many students require more time to be competent in skills in the healthcare field. I remember when I first started nursing school. I had been a bar tender for nearly fifteen years, and had zero experience in healthcare. This actually ended up being a blessing, as I wasn't already practicing bad habits, and I was able to learn everything from scratch. I did feel a little anxious in my skills sign offs, because I was so inexperienced. I agree that collaborative approaches to teaching and supporting students who are struggling is key to success.
Cheryl
to use for part II of our case study. Please refer to page 4 for the skill competencies guidelines.
1. Does the policy describe the number of times that a student may repeat a skills test?
Yes, students in NR 100 may repeat a skills test three times prior to the specified deadline and students in NR 101 and 102 may repeat a skills test twice prior to the specified deadline. All students taking the exit medication competency make take the test twice.
2. Does the policy describe any remediation needed prior to a repeat of the skills testing?
No, there is no remediation described for retesting, however, a student may be allotted an additional testing if certain criteria are met:
The student has attempted that competency at least once prior to the deadline, the student’s academic average, at the time of the failure, is at least 74% for NUR 100 and at least 70% for NUR 101, 202, 203 and 204, the student has maintained satisfactory clinical performance prior to the failed exam, and the student has not required additional testing on any other competency exam during the semester. The granted additional testing must be completed within one week of the original due date or it will be forfeited.
3. Does the policy describe the consequences of failing the skills testing?
Yes, the consequences of a failed skills testing is a clinical failure. A student that fails a clinical testing and does not meet the above mentioned criteria to be granted an additional testing is allowed to file a course level appeal, in writing (Appendix A). The student will be allowed to continue class and clinical course work until this appeal process is complete.
4. Does the policy describe how the skills testing will be evaluated (graded, pass/fail, points assigned)?
No, there is no description of the grading system for skill competencies. I would assume that it is a pass/fail situation since there is no indication of a grading system or point system.
I was glad to see that students must prepare for a skills exam and have proof that the skills have been practiced by signatures from either group members or clinical instructors, depending upon which nursing course a student is in.
Karen
(http Kathleen Brewer (Instructor)
Mar 21, 2019
Dear Karen:
Thanks for this nicely written post. I have read a lot about this agency and find their policies quite comprehensively presented. Also, I do believe being able to retake a failed lab exam 3 times is quite generous. Great job.
Regards, Kathleen
(http Jenna Manzione
(h5ps: /chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/40415/users/48618)
Mar 23, 2019
Dr. Brewer and Kathleen,
I agree with you both about three times being excessive. I don't think fail once and you have failed the class is appropriate because it is to strict but there does need to be some amount of pressure to master the skills required in a timely manner. I also think that a student taking an evaluation up to three times is a lot for the education staff as well. Even if three students were able to use this on one particular skill there would have to be 9 appointments for the instructor to assess the skills. If one semester there was a trend of a lot of nursing students failing a particular skill this could be a huge drain on resources and time. I really like the remediation that the Alabama School of Nursing uses because it makes the student do a lot if they fail (writing the steps of the skill, why important in nursing, and redoing the skill) and this will provide enough hassle to make the student not want to fail the first time even if another chance is granted.
(https:/ Miranda Schmidt
(h5ps: /chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/40415/users/95398)
Mar 20, 2019
All:
As I am a current clinical adjunct faculty for my Alma Mater I realized I haven’t read through their policies. I sought clarification from my colleagues in order to obtain this information. The current policy for the Progression and Disqualification policy is quite detailed and covers all content relating to theory and clinical courses. (See attached)
The disqualification terms are quite clear.
1. Disqualification from the nursing major includes those documented instances of unsafe, unethical behavior, or any action that jeopardizes a patient or client's safety, as a basis for a failing or no credit clinical grade (Reference: Academic Senate Policy Recommendation S10-6 section F, in the discussion of program specific criteria).
2. Students who are disqualified from the nursing major are not necessarily disqualified from the University and should refer to the catalog for the University’s policies on Probation and Disqualification.
3. Students will be disqualified from the major if they receive unsatisfactory grades in any two nursing courses in the same semester level of the nursing major.
4. Students in the nursing program will be disqualified if they receive a final course grade of less than 73%, or a C letter grade for a repeat of that same letter graded course, or if they receive a “no credit” final course grade on a repeat of that same non-letter graded class, in which they initially received a “no credit’ the first time that course was taken.
Generally unacceptable reasons that would not be considered include, but are not limited to, (1) poor academic or clinical performance, (2) nonattendance/tardiness in the clinical setting, (3) lack of required clinical documentation, or blood titers, health insurance, or transportation issues resulting in non-attendance, (4) unethical or unprofessional nursing behaviors, and/or (5) safety violations in clinical (as noted in the School’s widely published safe practice guidelines). Issues involving academic dishonesty are handled by the University’s Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development.
There is an opportunity for appealing but it requires the notification before the start of the next semester. This process can cause significant delays for the student, but there is an alternative option.
The school provides written, electronic and verbal explanation of these policies allowing several opportunities for the students to understand the ramification of failure.
However, there is no direct electronic link to this information. Therefore I was able to acquire the grading template for the skills check off by emailing one of my colleagues at the school of nursing who runs the Simulation program.
My discovery looking outwards though found that the University of British Columbia has an impressive listing of all of their school’s policies and documents. This transparency sets fantastic precedent that there are no hidden agendas within the school of nursing nor is the information unattainable.
According to Dante et al., (2016) approximately one third of nursing students reported leaving nursing education in the first year due to the personal expectations placed on themselves for success. However, the actual reported failure rate is around 5.6%.
Following these policies, then the student would be allowed to pass the skills course and have an opportunity to remediate the entire class. While this action may be difficult, it allows for redemption and can challenge the student to improve in other areas of their learning.
As educators this essential component of our roles can be challenging to overcome. Poorman & Mastorovich (2017) discuss the need to equally support the staff who are evaluating nursing students. Providing a structure that is consistent, transparent and safe is vital in an ongoing effort to provide meaningful curricula to nursing students.
References:
Dante, A., Ferrao, S., Jarosova, D., Lancia, L., Nascimento, C., Notara, V., … Palese, A., (2016) Nursing student profiles and occurrence of early academic failure: Findings from an explorative European study. Nurse Education Today 38, 74-81
Handwerker, S. M. (2018). Challenges Experienced by Nursing Students Overcoming One Course Failure: A Phenomenological Research Study. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 13, 168–173.
Poorman, S. G., & Mastorovich, M.L., (2017) Promoting Faculty Competence, Satisfaction and Retention: Faculty Stories supporting the crucial need for mentoring when evaluating nursing students. Teaching and learning in nursing. 12, 183-190.
Power, A., Albaradura, O., (2018) Supporting failing students: How collaboration is key. British Journal of Midwifery, 26(9), 615- 617.
University of British Columbia. School of Nursing Policies.
https://nursing.ubc.ca/questions/policies (https://nursing.ubc.ca/questions/policies) retrieved on March 20, 2019.
(http Kathleen Brewer (Instructor)
Mar 21, 2019
Dear Miranda:
Great job on this post. How very interesting that you were able to share your information about your Alma Mater. The policies for matriculation at this institution are cogently stated; important information about going forward in the program. Just one quick question, is the student who fails a clinical lab skill test allowed to retake the exam? Just curious. Thanks for the discussion.
Regards, Kathleen
(http Miranda Schmidt
(h5ps: /chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/40415/users/95398)
Mar 23, 2019
Kathleen,
Upon further review I found that if the student fails the exam (i.e. the skills course) in this example. She would have to remediate the concurrent course that goes with this clinical as well. This is to provide support for the curriculum being
taught. This could be a significant stall in a student's life and result in delay in completion of the curriculum and the program. However, I do recall two or three students who did this during my time in nursing school.
Thank you for your reply.
course.
Reference
Bugaj, T., & Nikendei, C. (2016, August 15). Practical clinical training in skills labs: theory and practice. GMS Journal for Medical Education, 33(4), Doc63. doi:10.3205/zma001062
Health Career Institute (2018). Nursing student: skills and simulation laboratory handbook. HCI Skills and Simulation Lab Handbook, (2016), 1-10. Retrieved March 20, 2019 from https://www.hci.edu/images/PDF/12.29_skills%20%20 Simulation%20Lab%20Handbook.pdf
(http Kathleen Brewer (Instructor)
Mar 21, 2019
Dear Lori Ann:
I enjoyed reading your post and thank you for sharing. I too found this school to be generous; as you stated most schools might allow the student to fail one time before being dismissed from the program. And it is so important that nurses be prepared to provide competent and safe care. Nicely written.
Regards, Kathleen
(http Krisfine Bailey
(h5ps: /chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/40415/users/4636)
Mar 22, 2019
LoriAnn,
Concerning the clinical skills lab, being able to perform a second attempt at a skill seems fair, concerning the reason for the skills lab is to gain a skill in which the student nurse will more than likely use as a registered nurse. Simulation can assist learners by allowing them to experience critical learning events, solve a wide range of potential problems, and determine the cause of, and ways to avoid, accidents or errors by recreating events in a safe environment followed by a proactive debriefing (Whelan, Xinzhe, Yorke, Andony, and McKenzie, 2016). These skills labs can continue into the career of the nurse, as nurses gain specialized knowledge and skills without exposing real patients to risks, as this the article Knowledge and Skills Enhancement Through Perioperative Nursing Simulation Lab Training (Whelan et al., 2016). The article discusses how OR nurses use skills labs in an effort to retain nurses and improve their skills due to the increasingly complex needs of the OR (Whelan et al., 2016). In the real life setting of a nurse and patient, sometimes the skills don’t allow for a second chance, so it is important to get it right the first time, which is why I feel the skills lab is driven heavily in nursing school. I agree only having a second attempt is a bit more strict than some of the other colleges posted within our discussion, but I am sure the college has their reasoning behind it. If it was my college's skills lab and I was an adjunct or instructor and the rule of only two attempts was set, I would ensure the students get to practice in front of the adjuncts and instructors as much as they need for them to feel comfortable prior to testing out in the skills lab.
Reference:
Whelan, T., Xinzhe Shi, Yorke, S., Andony, K., & McKenzie, M. L. (2016). Knowledge and Skills Enhancement through Perioperative Nursing Simulation Lab Training. ORNAC Journal, 34(2), 13–30. Retrieved from
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