Evaluating Your Student's Performance
Guidelines for Evaluating Student Clinical Performance
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide preceptors with information relevant to the clinical evaluation of nursing students. Clinical performance evaluation is based on the Differentiated Essential Competencies (DECS) identified by the Texas Board of Nursing for graduates of Associate Degree Nursing programs.
Students are expected to demonstrate self-direction in the achievement of competencies. Self-direction occurs when an individual takes a proactive role in his/her learning by identifying goals, planning learning experiences, and evaluating progress.
Preceptors work with and evaluate the performance of a variety of nursing students. The feedback provided by preceptors is an important piece of student clinical evaluation. Feedback on student performance should be objective and given in a thoughtful manner. Each student is unique. It is important to recognize those students who go above and beyond as excellent or ‘A’ students.
Precepted students provide RN preceptors a QR code link to the survey ‘Preceptor Evaluation of Amarillo College Nursing Student’.
Competencies
Preceptors complete the survey, evaluating student performance in the competencies:
Practice nursing within a legal and ethical framework
- Positive role model for nursing,
- Maintains professional boundaries
- Adheres to the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics
- Demonstrates knowledgeable of Texas Board of Nursing rules, clinical agency policies relevant to delegation/assignments
Assume responsibility and accountability for quality nursing care
- Evaluates self-learning needs, seeks/participates in learning experiences, and seeks assistance as needed
- Communicates appropriately with preceptor and interprofessional team members
- Reports unsafe healthcare situations/issues
Utilize a systemic process and clinical reasoning in the care of patients
- Gathers data to determine health status of assigned patient(s)
- Performs systematic head-to-toe patient assessment(s)
- Demonstrates an understanding of pathophysiology, laboratory data, diagnostic imaging, pharmacotherapeutics, and health assessment findings to patient(s) status
- Uses clinical reasoning to identify patient(s) health needs
- Collaborates with patient/healthcare team to formulate patient(s) outcomes
- Evaluates patient(s) plan of care, modifies the plan as necessary
- Effectively prioritizes needs for patients and their families
Provide safe, compassionate, holistic, patient-centered care
- Demonstrates competency in nursing skills, treatments, and medication administration
- Demonstrates respect for all patients and their families regardless of culture, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, gender or disability.
- Communicates professionally and effectively with patients and families (includes patient teaching)
- Acts as an advocate for patients and their families
Coordinate resources to provide comprehensive, quality care
- Promotes collaboration among the patient, family and interprofessional team
- Participates in referrals to healthcare resources
- Identifies resources for patients/families during hospitalization and at discharge, including community care
Performance evaluation ratings:
***** Excellent Performance = Exceeds performance in meeting competencies. Consistently, skillfully, and with early and progressive self-direction is able to meet clinical competencies without prompting.
**** Good Performance = Consistently meets competencies. Consistently, skillfully, and with progressive self-direction is able to meet clinical competencies with minimal prompting.
*** Satisfactory Performance = Meets competencies. May initially require frequent prompting and direction in meeting clinical competencies, but responds proactively to guidance.
** Unsatisfactory Performance = Inconsistent in meeting competencies for safe practice even with detailed direction and frequent prompting.
* Unsafe Performance = Does not meet competencies or minimal standards for safe practice. Jeopardizes the safety of others through a series of events or single event. A “0” in any competency will result in failure.
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