Authentic Assessment
Assessing students should not be done in a one size fits all model. In clinical, students are scared and nervous about being evaluated on their skills. No one performs to the best of their ability while being nervous. Hence, why I make a medication administration schedule, and each student knows beforehand when they are administering medications. I do the same for all other skills and assessments. I have conversations with my students to review the skills to ensure they know how to perform them and the rationale for the skills. As a nurse, I would never perform a skill without competence, and the same should be for our Nursing students. Instructors need to remember that students are learning, and they are scared, and we are there to guide them and help them learn in a supportive environment to help foster a successful outcome.
I allow my students to provide a verbal reflection of their day, letting me know what went well, what did not go well, and one thing they learned on their shift. Providing a verbal reflection replaces the written reflection, along with helping students build on communication. Using more than one assessment allows for a comprehensive indication of the student’s learning, understanding and performance. Hence why I incorporate practical skills assessments, written assessments and verbal assessments.