Cyberteaching, Cyberlearning, and now Cyberevaluation! How to Evaluate Clinical Competence using Distance Technology

Nurse theorist, Isabel Hampton Robb (1860-1910), developed and implemented a grading policy for nursing students that required nurses to prove their clinical abilities in order to be awarded qualifications.  This policy has stood the test of time and traditional NP education has used standardized patient exams and simulations to evaluate the clinical proficiency of NP students. As online programs have expanded, and instructional technologies have evolved, there is a growing need for strategies to effectively assess and evaluate the development of clinical proficiency and safe practice for distance students.

When a large University implemented a policy requiring all online programs to evaluate students without requiring them to come to campus, faculty in this federally funded online NP program developed Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs) that are implemented off-campus using distance technology.  The technology allows for a simultaneous and user-friendly platform for students to demonstrate necessary skills.  It also allows for critical evaluation of the clinical performance of each student. The dual-phase process focuses on physical examination skills, clinical decision making, critical thinking skills and team communication. 

Workshop participants will learn innovative step-by-step methods to assess clinical competence for distance students using reliable and widely available technology.  The use of conference calling as a tool for evaluating diagnostic decision-making, building group cohesion, and debriefing of students will be presented.  In addition, challenges related to assessing student clinical competence, the evolution of evaluation strategies, and the importance of working in teams, all in distance learning environments, will be addressed. 

Join this group of presenters to learn about triumphs and troubles experienced when implementing innovative cyber-strategies for clinical exams, and learn from challenges and plans for continuous improvement.  Participants will be encouraged to consider how these novel approaches to the evaluation of clinical competence can be included in their own online, distance, traditional, or hybrid courses.   Participants will have an opportunity to practice video evaluation of simulated patient exams and to ask questions of an instructional designer with expertise in the use of low-cost and easy-to use audio and visual web conferencing tools.