Application of Criterion-Meeting Assessment Method in Fundamentals of Nursing

doi:10.4236/eng.2013.510B068

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Engineering, 2013, 5, 338-340

http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/eng.2013.510B068 Published Online Octob er 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/eng)

Application of Criterion-Meeting Assessment Met h od in

Fundamentals of Nursing

Xueyan Chen, Jihong Wang*, Wenjuan Li

Nursing College, Beihua University Jilin City

Email: *[email protected], hlxyhlxy05@sina.com

Received June 2013

ABSTRACT

To investigate the results of criterion-meeting assessment method used for the operation test in fundamentals of nursing,

101 nursing undergraduates who entered Nursing College, Beihua Univercity in 2007, were randomly divided into ex-

perimental group and control group. The students in the control group were examined with the traditional assessment

met hod, namely, the points were given the students one-time and estimated in a way of quantitative analysis. The stu-

dents in the experimental group were examined with criterion-meeting assessment methods. The average score of stu-

dents in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.001), the difference was statistically

significant, and 100% students in the experimental group got 90 - 100 points of the assessment standards. Our studies

suggest that the method is not only conducive to fully mobilizing the enthusiasm of the students and studen ts’ estab-

lishing critical thinking, but also gives help to i mprove the overall quality of teachers. It can strengthen the experimental

teaching, improve teachers’ and students’ senses of responsibility in teaching and learning and contribute to the good

teaching result.

Keywords: Criterion-Meetin g Assessment Method; Nursing

1. Introduction

Fundamentals of Nursing is an important basic course

for students majoring in nursing and provides necessary

knowle dge and skills for nursing specialties i n clinic [1].

The traditional operation test method focuses on profi-

ciency in the operation, but ignores the eval uation of the

importance of human care, the feelings of patients and

the other aspects [2]. O n the o ther ha nd, the method may

sho w a contingency caused by the environment, e motion

and live performance, and a limitatio n of a test for life

during the process of the performance evaluation, wh ich

may have a direct impact on student learning initiative.

In order to make the operation test more scientific, valid

and reliable, a crite r io n-meeting assessment method has

been implemented in our college and hereafter attached

the follows.

2. Subjects and Methods

2.1. Subjects

101 nursing undergraduates who entered Nursing Col-

lege, Beihua Univercity in 2007 were chosen as the sub-

jects. All the students were fe male. They were randomly

divided into experimental group (51) and control group

(50). There was no significant difference in a ge or gender

of students between the two groups (P > 0.05) and they

were comparable.

2.2. Methods

The assessment criterion of bas ic nursi ng skil ls edited by

our college was used in the examination. The examina-

tion performance was randoml y chosen from 15 items of

performances which were commonly used and could

show students’ comprehensive abilities by the students.

The students in t he control group were examined with the

traditional assessment method, namely, the points were

given the students one-time and estimated in a way of

quantitative analysis, the score less than 60 points was

considered as a failure, the student who was in failure

could have onl y one c hance to make up and the make-up

test result was recorded as 60 points, and he would be

asked to be restud y this course fundamentals of nurs i ng i f

a student could still not pass the make-up test. The stu-

dents in the experimental group were examined with cri-

terion-meeting assessment methods. There were three

assess me nts, namel y, the students who got 90 - 100

standard points during the first assessment were awarded

for the excellent and their final scores were 90 - 100

points. The students who got 90 - 100 standard points

*Corresponding author.

X. Y. CHEN ET AL.

339

duri ng the s eco nd assessment were awarded for the good

and their final scores were 80 - 89. The stud ents who got

90 - 100 standa r d po int s d uri n g the t hir d assessment were

awarded the pass and their final scores were 70 - 79

points. Those who could not reach the standard during

the three assessments awarded for the failure and were

required to restudy the course fundamentals of nursing.

In order to ensure the fairness of the assessment and

avoid some subjective and objective factors to affect the

results, some preparations for the assessment were im-

plemented before the test.

2.2.1. Establishing the Standar ds

Nursing specialists who were in charge of clinical teach-

ing and teachers who were responsible for the teaching of

fundamentals of nursing were asked to screen the per-

formances. 15 items of performances which were com-

monly used in clinic were prepared. The performances

were presented in a way of synthetical cases and were

required to reflect students’ thinking and performance

abilities. They jointly studied and discussed the prepara-

tion of the uniform assessme nt standards

2.2.2. Strengthening the Practice

In our college, an open system was implemented in the

laboratories of basic nur sing s kill s. The laboratories were

open to students for three hours every evening and were

managed by the students themselves. Some skilled

teachers were asked to be on duty to instruct the students

to man ag e the laboratories and finish experimental practice.

2.2.3. Ensuring the Fairness of the Test

During the assessments, the test questions were drawn

randomly by the students on the scene and the teachers

were divided into different groups (there were 3 teachers

in each group), which could be convenient to uni fy stan-

dard and ensure the fairness of the assessments. Moreo-

ver, students’ abilities of critical thinking and interper-

sonal communication skills were emphasized during the

assessments.

3. Resul ts

3.1. Comparison of Students’ Scores between the

Two Groups

Students’ scores in the experimental group were higher

than those in the control group and the difference be-

tween them was significant statistically (P < 0.001).The

comparison of students’ scores between the two groups is

showed in Tab l e 1.

3.2. Assessment Scores of Students in the

Experimental Group

Assessment scores of students in the experimental group

are showed in Table 2. The excellent rate in the experi-

mental group was 16.0%. However, 100% students in the

expe ri mental gro up go t 90 - 100 points o f the ass ess ment

standards.

4. Discussion

The function of a test should include assessment, feed-

back, forecasting and incentive. Attribution theory pro-

posed by Carol Dweck, a fam ous psychologist, considers

that the meaning of an exa mination depends on different

objectives for this exam. Those who take the score as a

goal conside r that a test o nl y a meas ur e o f their own abil-

ity, it will make it self-esteem threatened if they fail, and

then, they must show some negative emotional reactions

such as shame, anxiety and depression, even boredom or

contempt for the continued efforts, and those who take

learning as a goal think that an examination is an ap-

proach to acquire knowledge and sk ills, and develop their

ability, a failure means that their current studies should

still fail to f ini sh a nd in a se nse , it will provide an oppor-

tunity to acquire higher intelligence, and the effort for it

is taken as a way to activate their ability. Criterion-

meeting assessment method is a good interpretation of

this theory, which can not only make the results of an

exa mination a mot i ve power, but also provides a sp ir itual

support and an obje ctive o pportunity on stud e nts .

4.1. To Apply Learner-Based Teaching and

Mobilize the Learning Initiative of Students

4.1.1. Learning to Fishing Is Bet ter than Being Given

Fish

Criterion- meeting assessment method enables st udent s to

recognize the operational assessment is a learning pro-

Table 1. Comparison of students’ scores between the two

groups with two ass e ssment method (%).

Groups >90

points >80

points >70

points >60

points Mean ± s

Experimental

group (5 1) 8 36 7 0 85.67 ± 7.65

Control

group (50) 6 20 21 3 74.96 ± 6.03

P < 0.001.

Table 2. Assessment scores of students in the experimental

group(n = 51).

number percenta ge (%)

Excel lent 8 16.0

Good 36 70.0

Pass 7 14.0

Failure 0 0.0

X. Y. CHEN ET AL.

340

cess in which they can combine theory and practice,

consolidate and improve their practical skills, as well as a

training process for their qualities and abilities. Through

the assessments, they can understand that a failure to an

examination does not mean real lack of their personal

knowledge and abilities, the result is variable, controlla-

ble and positively proportional to their efforts and abili-

ties, and the failure may become an aggressive driving

force which may help them meet the assessment criteria.

Through the practice, the students also understand that

the impro ve me nt in the ba sic skil ls will be c losel y related

to their clinical internships and future employment,

which can fully mobilizes the enthusiasm of the st udents

in the practical exercise and change them from passive

learning to active learning [3].

4.1.2. To Strengthen the Feedback Function of

Examination

During the application of Criterion-meeting assessment

method, both teachers and students could timely get

feedback information, which enables both teachers and

students to recognize the deficiencies in teaching and

learning. The method requires that the teachers should

teach the students in a way c lo sely integrate d with cl inic,

namely, co mbi ning the asse ssment with specific cases. It

also requires that the teachers should prepare adequately

according to different cases and different training pro-

grams, and try to understand related comprehensive

knowledge and proficient skills before the assessment so

that they can better guide and assess the students [3],

which should be conducive to the improvement in the

overall quality of teachers.

Durin g the assessment , the st udents’ observation abili-

ties, clinical thinking skills, and communication skills

could be improved, which could promote them to pay

more attention to human care and help to improve the

overall quality of students.

Criterion-meeting assessment method also contributed

to the improvemen t o f the active mental activity for both

teachers and students in the improvement of students’

skills, and an equal a nd har monious at mospher e between

the teachers and the students could be built, which may

close teacher-student re la tions hip.

4.1.3. Problems to Be Solved

There were some problems to be solved in the applica-

tion of criterion-meeting assessment method. The teach-

ers ha d to spend more time, energy and physical exertion,

a few individual studen ts wit h fluke mind hoped t hat they

could draw a procedure which would be easy for them in

the operation, which might disturb the fairness of the

asses sment.

Our studies suggest that the implementation of crite-

rion-meeting assessment method in the operation test of

fundamentals of nursing should be regarded as a good

way to improve the overall quality of students. The me-

thod is not o nly conducive to fully mobilizing t he enthu-

siasm of the students and students’ estab lishing critical

thinking, but also gives hel p t o impr ove t he ove rall q ual-

ity of teachers. It can strengthen the experimental teach-

ing, improve teachers’ and students’ senses of responsi-

bility in tea chi ng and le arni ng and contribute to the good

teaching result.

REFERENCES

[1] X. H. Li, “Fundamentals of Nursing,” People’s Medical

Publishing House, Beijing, 2006, pp. 1-2.

[2] Z. X. Zhou, J. H. Bian, Q. Wang et a l., “Discu ssion on the

Implementation Of Practice Examination Rating Certifi-

cate in Fundamentals of Nursing,” Journal of Nurses

Training, Vol. 23, No. 7, 2008, pp. 613-614.

[3] Y. Sheng, Y. Zhao and X. Zhang, “The Practice Of Me-

thod of Learning in Groups in the Nursing Skills Teach-

ing,” Chinese Journal of Nursing, Vol. 39, No. 7, 2004,

pp. 531-53.