Assessing competence in undergraduate nursing students: the ASAP model


Zasadny and Bull (2015) trialed and evaluated the student assessment in practice model and tool. The paper describes the evaluation process and outcomes of the trial which were positive for reducing the failure rates and complaints. It also reduced the number of successful appeals. The tool was developed in response to the legislative changes that occurred with the inception of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in 2010. Additionally, the increased focus on quality and safety in healthcare was further impetus to ensure accurate assessment of student performance in relation  to safe and professional practice was undertaken. The paper is divided into three parts. The first discusses competence, the second the model and tool, and the final part reports the findings of the trial. Since this paper was written there has been the update and release of the Registered Nurse Standards for Practice from the previous competency standards that continues the vexed question of competency, capability, intuition or expertise. However, the development of this tool goes someway in adding to the body of knowledge that is ameliorating this lack of clarity.

The ASAP tool is designed as an early intervention strategy that is bespoke for each student require redirection. The tool developed focuses on attitude, knowledge and skills, through using an assessment tool, the clinical reasoning framework and a negotiated learning contract. Safe, effective and proficient criteria are also employed through the clinical reasoning framework to elicit information collection, processing and decision-making. The authors provide diagrammatic representation and  an example of the learning contract  template used in association with the tool. The tool can be used as an overall assessment tool; for diagnostic purposes; structure for documentation as evidence; and for failing and removing a student from practice. This tool can be used for formative and summative assessment, during each healthcare experience undertaken. The model provides a standardised, transferable and accessible framework for documentation and over time provides evidence of the performance of a student and whether they have progressed.

This paper describes the evaluation of a pilot study undertaken in an acute care environment.  The findings indicate the tool has merit because it can pinpoint specific performance weakness, support targeted remediation and provide detailed and objective documented evidence of performance. Further evaluation within a range of healthcare settings could provide further information about the robustness of this model for assessment of students on professional experience. For further information and to view the template the article was published in Nurse Education today.

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