The use of skills inventories to assess and grade practice: Part 2--evaluation of assessment strategy.

This paper evaluates the introduction of an assessment tool to grade clinical competence in post-registration critical care courses using a skills-based assessment strategy. An audit of skills assessors was conducted alongside an analysis of theory and practice marks. Findings showed marks awarded for practice were generally higher than those awarded for theory which may be expected in a clinically-based profession. Whilst grading of practice requires further exploration, our experience shows that competence can be defined, measured and the resultant marks incorporated into a degree classification with relative ease. Consistency between assessors remains an issue but can be assisted by the use of clear skills templates and a user-friendly grading tool.

The use of skills inventories to assess and grade practice: Part 1--design and implementation.

Employers increasingly require evidence of competent practice and cost-effective education that is fit for purpose. Historically, universities providing nurse education have been more concerned with the testing and grading of theory at undergraduate level which ultimately defines degree classification. This may be at the expense of recognising excellence in clinical practice which should be the ultimate goal of any nurse education programme. This paper reviews the development and introduction of an assessment tool to grade clinical competence in higher education level 6 post-registration critical care courses using a skills-based assessment strategy. The knowledge and practice components for each skill are defined within a standardised template. A number of skills pertinent to the area of practice and academic module are then collected in a skills inventory for assessment and grading which contribute to degree classification.

NVQs and practice assessment in a pre-registration course.

In response to the government's strategic intentions for nursing outlined in Making a Difference (DoH 1999), the University of Brighton has used national vocational qualification (NVQ) standards to facilitate assessment of practice during the common foundation year of the pre-registration diploma in nursing. The aim of this initiative is to provide 'step on' and 'step off' points using a nationally recognised qualification to meet government requirements for a more flexible approach to nurse education.