Clinical Education There Are Many Aspects to

¶ … Clinical Education There are many aspects to the nursing profession, but before a person becomes a nurse he or she has to focus on the clinical education it takes to become one. In other words, one cannot just study from books and pass tests to graduate to working with patients. He or she has to be able to demonstrate through clinical evaluation methods that he or she is capable of doing what is necessary to handle patients properly. Addressed here will be reasons behind the methods used.

The humanistic and transformative learning theories will be discussed. Then the paper will move into the specific methods used for clinical evaluation, what those methods are, and why they are important. Overall, it is highly significant to have different kinds of methods, because everyone learns a little differently. When evaluations measure the same kinds of skills in different ways, they are more likely to be effective and determine who is actually learning the material and qualified to work as a nurse.

Throughout the years, clinical evaluation methods have changed quite a bit. This is important, as it indicates the desire of educators to change evaluation methods to match the times in which those methods are needed. With new and improved methods for evaluating nursing students, more students who are ready for work as a nurse can be located and those who are not suited to the program can find out early. Nursing is not for everyone, and even some people who want the job are not right for it.

The sooner that is discovered, the easier it is on everyone involved. Proper methods of clinical evaluation can help with those types of discoveries, which allows for a smoother period of education and a better transition into the workforce for those who do become nurses. Transformative Learning Theory Transformative learning theory states that there is a process to transforming a person's perspective (Dirkx, Mezirow, & Cranton, 2006). Teachers can provide students with events and situations that not only foster learning, but that also foster transformation.

This helps the students change and grow as they learn, which can allow them to adapt more easily to the learning that is taking place (Dirkx, Mezirow, & Cranton, 2006). Whether they are learning in a classroom or in a field, the idea that they will be transformed in some way as they learn is highly important to their growth and development (Cranton, 2006). Without change and transformation, it can be difficult for people to actually learn a lot.

The reason behind this is that people who are learning are growing and changing as they learn. What they take in when they learn changes their perspective of various things, including themselves. Because of that, they are different from who they were when they began their learning journey (Dirkx, Mezirow, & Cranton, 2006). This is important to remember, because people who are focused on being in the nursing profession also have to be able to change and adapt to different patients and different conditions.

The more adaptable and changeable they are in themselves, the better they will be about making changes to help others. This transformative characteristic that they develop while they are learning can be vital for them in a helping profession (Cranton, 2006). While not every nurse will have as much of this experience in a clinical setting, all of them can expect some form of it as they move through learning the skills they need.

Those who are not able to transform their perspective in any way may struggle with their learning and abilities. Humanistic Theory Humanistic theory is also important when it comes to learning and nursing. This theory states that people have an inherent drive toward creativity and self-actualization (Rogers, Lyon & Tausch, 2013; Sotillos, 2013). In the past it was thought that the only people who needed to be creative were those who were working in artistic fields.

However, this theory sees everything as being artistic in some way, and sees the self-actualization of human beings as being a highly important part of what they do and who they are (Rogers, Lyon & Tausch, 2013). That is very important, as the theory emphasizes free will, self-awareness, and creative merit (Sotillos, 2013). In the nursing profession, learning to be creative is significant.

While there are specific ways that many things have to be done, there are also times when nurses need to get creative in order to get a patient to take needed medication or submit to a necessary procedure. This happens most often with patients who are children, but can also be the case with adults who are not comfortable with the medical setting. When nurses are learning and they are involved in clinical training where they have to get comfortable with the tools and techniques of their trade.

The humanistic theory is a large part of their lives at that point, even if they do not realize it. Since creativity and self-actualization are emphasized, people who have those traits or can develop them will generally have more success than those who do not have them or are not aware of how to grow and develop to that point (Rogers, Lyon & Tausch, 2013).

In that sense, this theory ties in with the previously discussed one, and they can be used in tandem to help people learn about their work and their world. The more nurses are able to change, adapt, and understand themselves and their patients, the better off they will be -- and the more help they will give to their patients and the doctors with whom they work. Evaluation Methods of Undergraduate Nursing Students There are several ways in which undergraduate nursing students are evaluated.

These will be discussed here, along with the basic ways in which these evaluation methods work and are practiced. Students in any discipline must know how they are being judged for competency, so they know what they should be studying and what really matters to the instructors. The information that matters to those instructors is what is going to matter in the real world, with patients (D'Antonio, 2010).

The more these nursing students learn about what patients need, the better off they will be when it comes to helping them in the future (Illeris, 2009). Another important facet of evaluation methods is whether they focus on helping the student move forward with learning, instead of becoming merely a tool for criticism and concern. If the methods do not foster growth and awareness, they cannot be easily used for development of good nursing skills in the future.

Assessment Tools and Resources Among the common assessment tools and resources are: 360-degree evaluations Program level evaluations Objective structured clinical examinations Record reviews Written examinations Oral examinations Case, operative, or procedure logs Chart stimulated recall examination Evaluations of performance (either live or recorded) Any or all of these assessment tools can be used, and they can all be valuable. It can depend on the instructor, the basic rules of the educational institution, or even the individual class or student.

However, one must be very careful to evaluate all students equally and fairly (Illeris, 2009). Students that are not evaluated in an equal manner may find that they have a grievance against the instructor or school, because fair treatment is vital. If one or more methods are used to evaluate a student, the instructor must use those same methods to evaluate the other students, as well.

This, in turn, keeps the program running smoothly and helps to indicate if there are any problems that should be addressed to help students learn better and more easily. Using more than one evaluation method can also help to indicate weaknesses in the teaching that need to be addressed. Evaluating Performance Through Feedback Another way to evaluate performance is through feedback from instructors, patients, and peers (Billings & Halstead, 2012).

In order to provide this kind of information, checklists can be used or a person can focus on more open-ended questions instead of something that is decidedly more structured in nature. The kind of evaluation used can vary based on the instructional institution and the actual teacher of the material (Longe, 2013). Any reasonable method of evaluating performance can be used, and feedback is certainly among the most popular of those methods. With feedback, the student gets the opportunity to understand more than just a grade on something (Longe, 2013).

He or she has the chance to hear what others actually think about his or her performance, which can provide a high level of information that is not available when grades are the only things a student sees. Getting true feedback can make a significant difference in the direction a student takes (Illeris, 2009). The Dynamic Process of Evaluation The process of evaluation is dynamic (Illeris, 2009). It changes and adjusts, just like the student changes and adjusts.

That is something over which the student does not have much control, but that is a good thing. When a person is evaluated in different and changing ways, he or she is better able to learn about adaptation. It also encourages the student to learn everything about the subject at hand, because he or she is not entirely certain how he or she will be evaluated (Fitzpatrick & Kazer, 2011).

Not knowing for sure what's going to be "on the test" is an excellent way of ensuring that students study all the information they have been given. Having that higher level of knowledge leads them to perform their job duties better, which can help them be more effective as nurses and give more to their patients and the doctor with whom they work (Gaberson & Oermann, 2009). As the process of evaluation continues to change on a dynamic level, the students also grow and change.

This all works together to create the most knowledgeable and prepared students possible. Encouraging Motivation to do Better One of the most important facets of clinical evaluation is providing encouragement and motivation for students to do better (Illeris, 2009). Focusing only on what students do wrong and continuing to criticize their choices and abilities is not going to benefit anyone, but it is an all too common practice in many settings (Illeris, 2009).

With that in mind, it is very important that students work with instructors that really do want to see them succeed. The more success they have, the better off they will be overall, and the more likely they will be to continue with what they are doing and to work harder in order to make sure they can move forward into the career they want. Their instructors will benefit the students by working with them to bring out their desire to continue to improve (D'Antonio, 2010).

More improvement means more quality for the doctors and patients those students will work with when they become nurses. This also helps to build self-esteem in the students, and helps them feel as though they can be successful in their chosen career path (Billings & Halstead, 2012). Being motivated and wanting to do better is very important for any education or career, but it is highly significant in career paths where a person is dealing with medical care and helping to protect vulnerable people from harm.

Nurses save lives, and they can do that more easily if they have the proper skills and are motivated to continue to learn as much as they can toward performing their jobs to the best of their ability. Not all nursing students are motivated by the same things, though, so it is very important to focus on the different ways to motivate individuals and offer several options that can be affective when evaluating people.

The key is to make the evaluation work as a way to increase motivation, so the student sees his or her problems and wants to do better. Finding a Sense of Achievement A sense of achievement must also come through in clinical evaluations (Illeris, 2009; Billings & Halstead, 2012). If the evaluation only accentuates the problems the student may be having, there is little motivation to continue and the student may feel as though he or she has not achieved anything at all.

With that in mind, it is very important that each student finds his or her sense of achievement (D'Antonio, 2010). This can be through praise from an instructor or peer, or through a written evaluation that points out both the good and bad of where the student currently is in the program. The key is that not all students will react the same way to information provided about how well they are doing. Students have to be shown that they are learning something and that they are achieving important goals (Illeris, 2009).

Even if the goals are small, they are still important. Students who are doing well may already have a sense of achievement. For those who are struggling, a sense of achievement may need to be fostered in them. This can be done through evaluations that are only designed to address what the student is doing right. Naturally, this cannot be the only way students are ever evaluated, or they will not know what they need to work on.

However, students can have several evaluations, and at least some of them should be focused on only the positive issues. That will build the self-esteem of the student and prove to him or her that he or she can do at least certain things properly (Illeris, 2009). When a student sees that he or she is doing something right, the value to the student is significant.

That can lead to a stronger sense of achievement, and can also help with motivation because it helps the student to feel smarter and more in control of what he or she has been learning from the instructor. Enhancing Individual Potential The individual potential of a student is vital to that student's success. Some people simply have more potential than others, especially in certain areas of life.

However, students who do not see their own potential can struggle -- even with tasks that they are perfectly capable of doing (Illeris, 2009; Billings & Halstead, 2012). In order to enhance the individual potential of the students, it is necessary to see them as individuals (Illeris, 2009). In other words, evaluation methods that take into account individuality and different ways of arriving at the same conclusion should be considered (Illeris, 2009).

Not everyone handles things in the same way, and some people do not reach their full potential because they feel they must do something only a particular way -- which could be a way they are not comfortable with or do not clearly understand (Fitzpatrick & Kazer, 2011).

When students are evaluated as individuals, but the methods are kept fair across the board, the students are more likely to see that they have potential and that being an individual is an acceptable part of their educational experience and work plans (Billings & Halstead, 2012). Taking Responsibility for Personal Growth The responsibility for personal growth lies with the student, not the instructor (Illeris, 2009). Unfortunately, many students want to be taught but do not really want to learn.

As one is taught something, he or she learns how to perform a task. If one learns something, he or she understands the how and why of the task performed. Being taught something and learning something, therefore, are not the same thing (Longe, 2013). Learning involves personal growth, and that has to be the responsibility of the student (Longe, 2013). While the instructor can require that the student demonstrate the skills needed to perform a task correctly, he or she cannot force that student to understand the information behind the task (Illeris, 2009).

With that in mind, the student must take his or her own responsibility for personal growth and development throughout the learning process. Clinical evaluations can help the student do that, because the evaluations provide information about what the student does and does not know and understand (Illeris, 2009). When a student has a poor evaluation, he or she is made aware that there are issues that must be addressed.

That is often caused by the fact that the student has not put in the effort to actually learn something, and has only focused on getting through the material and getting a grade on it (Illeris, 2009). The Strength in the Learning Process There is strength in the learning process that comes through evaluation (Illeris, 2009; Billings & Halstead, 2012). When a student is evaluated, he or she can discover what he or she does or does not know.

The instructor also discovers this information about the student, and that knowledge provides an excellent opportunity for growth and change. In other words, if a student goes through an evaluation and does not perform well, he or she knows the areas where more study and effort is needed. The student can then work with the instructor in an effort to "catch up" those areas so the next evaluation will be better (Billings & Halstead, 2012).

Another important consideration for this aspect of clinical evaluation is that what is taught to nursing students often starts out relatively easy and builds into something progressively harder (Illeris, 2009). One piece of information or task that needs completed builds on another, as the students move through their education. The learning process can be severely hindered by missing out on information that is needed to build on in the future, which is something well worth consideration from the student (Illeris, 2009; Longe, 2013).

If clinical evaluations are provided appropriately, thoroughly, and often, they will be able to catch issues before those issues have a chance to become serious problems for the student. When students fall behind on something that is a building block for other things, it can be very hard for them to get caught up properly (Illeris, 2009). Avoiding that is the best way to keep an educational experience moving along smoothly, and can protect students from failing grades and other academic harm.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Evaluation Process As with any process that grades or judges students or other individuals, there are advantage and disadvantages to the evaluation process (Illeris, 2009). It is important that these are well understand by both students and educators, so that everyone is on the same page with how issues are being addressed and whether a particular level of learning is being acquired properly. Advantages Students receive more than just grades, and are able to get more thorough feedback on the work they are doing.

There are several different methods, so students have more opportunity to be individuals without fear of poor grades. The process has been used for some time with great success, so it has an established reputation for working well. Students can discover problems early on, so that their instructors can help them move past those problems and succeed. The process can "weed out" students who are not committed to learning or who are simply not able to perform the tasks correctly.

There is no extra, added cost to this particular method, and it is something that can be done inexpensively. Disadvantages Students who are more focused on their grades may find the evaluation process unhelpful or unfulfilling. Shy or quite students may feel "on display" which can make them uncomfortable and unhappy. Not all students perform well under pressure, which could lead to lower evaluations for nervous students. Not all instructors are good at giving evaluations that take into account both the good and the bad of the situation.

Since there are different methods, an instructor has added pressure to choose the one that will be the most accurate for all students involved. Since students are individuals, it can be unrealistic to evaluate them all in the same way, using the same method. The Impact on Students' Learning Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the clinical evaluation method is the impact it has on students' learning (Billings & Halstead, 2012). As students learn, they focus on moving from one task or piece of knowledge to another.

That is the common way to do things, and it works well. However, there is more to the issue than just that. Knowing that evaluations are coming up can keep students focused, because they know that they must be ready for those evaluations (Illeris, 2009). Some evaluations are timed, expected, or otherwise planned, but students can be evaluated more covertly, as well.

There are two main issues with this method: it can make students nervous because they are never sure when they are being evaluated, or it can make students more comfortable because they do not have planned evaluations they have to deliberately prepare for (D'Antonio, 2010). They can just go about what they are doing, and not concern themselves with being evaluated in a test-style format. Of course, both covert and overt evaluations may be needed or used.

This often depends on the students themselves, their commitment to the task at hand, and the instructors' ways of handling the issue. No matter what students are asked to do, however, evaluations in a clinical setting do have an impact on their learning behaviors. Often, students feel more comfortable just taking a test and receiving a grade, so clinical evaluations can feel strange and awkward to them at the beginning of their educational journey.