Improving nursing tutors practical area assessment knowledge through action research in school of nursing, Jimma University, southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Nursing students are expected to perform clinical practice with instructors’ supervision and repeated practice. However, various issues have been raised in the evaluation of nursing clinical skills, including inconsistencies in the evaluation process by the nursing tutors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve nursing tutors’ practical area assessment knowledge through action research at the school of nursing, Jimma University, southwest Ethiopia in 2019. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted involving nursing students, tutors and a school of nursing to improve nursing tutors’ practical area assessment knowledge through action research. A purposive sampling technique was used to select key informants, and the interviews were conducted by the team using the key informants’ interview guidelines. The findings were analyzed under different themes and presented in texts. Result: The results were presented in four emerging themes: dissimilar student evaluation methods; reasons for using different evaluation criteria; complaints on practical area evaluation; and what the school has done so far. A short training was given to the selected tutors, and there was improvement in nursing tutors’ practical area assessment knowledge. Conclusion: This study indicated that not having standard evaluation criteria among instructors and feedback not being given were the most reported problems. A short training was given to the selected tutors, and after the intervention, there was an improvement in nursing tutors’ practical area assessment knowledge. The school should give detailed clinical area student assessment training for newly recruited staff.

Keywords

• Clinical practice
• Evaluation
• Nursing tutors
• Ethiopia