ABSTRACT
The evaluation of clinical competencies of nurse practitioner (NP) students has traditionally been accomplished by direct observation of student-patient interactions. Adult and family NP faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina directly observe students at their clinical site at least twice each semester. Recently, faculty recognized the need for additional validation of clinical decision-making skill development and added the Clinical Competency Evaluation (CCE), a standardized simulated patient encounter, to the evaluation process. The purpose of the CCE is to (a) maximize use of available evaluation technology, (b) evaluate student clinical skills in a controlled, standardized environment using a criterion-referenced format, (c) give students an additional performance feedback mechanism, and (d) identify benchmarks to validate student advancement and completion of the NP program. This article discusses how the CCE process was developed, current methods of conducting and grading the examination, faculty and student evaluation of the outcomes, and recommendations.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence/standards , Decision Making , Education, Nursing, Graduate/standards , Nurse Practitioners/education , Patient Simulation , Students, Nursing/psychology , Adult , HumansABSTRACT
With anticipated changes in healthcare delivery systems, nursing faculty members need to redefine the faculty role and scholarship as a product of that role. The authors describe the development of appointment, promotion, and tenure criteria that value scholarly outcomes generated from both practice and research within the educational model.
Subject(s)
Career Mobility , Faculty, Nursing/organization & administration , Job Description , Health Care Reform/organization & administration , Humans , Organizational InnovationSubject(s)
Anxiety , Depression , Hostility , Neoplasms/psychology , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
PIP: In the last 10 years genital herpes simplex has reached epidemic proportions, affecting 5 million Americans, with 500,000 new cases yearly. The incidence is highest among middle and upper socioeconomic groups and among whites. There are 2 antigenically distinct strains of the herpes simplex virus, and type II is the cause of 85% of the genital infections. The virus has an affinity for tissues derived from the embryonic ectoderm -- skin, mucous membranes, eye, and central nervous system. Transmission is by personal contact with an infected area. The clinical course of the disease involves 4 stages. In the primary stage the typical lesions are vesicles, which rupture, leaving painful shallow ulcerations. The primary stage lasts from 2 to 4 weeks with approximately 10 days of viral shedding. In the latent stage the virus lies dormant in the sacral ganglion and is noninfectious. In the shedding stage the virus replicates and sheds in genital secretions. The recurrent stage is characterized by prodromal itching or tingling sensations prior to the eruption of the vesicles and by neuralgia. Recurrence occurs as often as 4 to 7 times a year and lasts from 7 to 10 days, with viral shedding for 4 or 5 days. Definitive diagnosis can be made from viral tissue culture or the Tzanck and Papanicolaou smears. There is no cure for herpes although acyclovir has been found to shorten the duration of the episodes. Except for pregnancy complications, the most serious complications of recurrent genital herpes are psychological. The disease is socially stigmatizing and inhibits sexual activity. The nurse should provide supportive care, information about the transmission and symptoms of the disease, and counseling as to precautions to take, such as condom and spermicide use, avoidance of oral sex, abstention when lesions are present, and limiting sex to one partner.^ieng
