William F. Connell School of Nursing (CSON), Chestnut Hill, MA
Evaluating student learning outcomes-Baccalaureate Nursing Program
Student Learning Outcomes
(published online at
http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/son/progra
ms/undergrad/assesment-of-studentlearning.html and in Student Handbook, updated
annually and also published online
The graduate of the CSON baccalaureate
program is a critical thinker who:
1. Respects the intrinsic worth of all human
beings by valuing and integrating altruism,
autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and
social justice into professional nursing
practice across all health care settings and
populations.
2. Synthesizes concepts from a liberal arts
Jesuit education to develop a philosophy of
care that guides professional nursing
practice.
Evidence gathered
For all outcomes:
Note: CSON has a detailed “Continuous Program Improvement
Plan” that guides all assessment activities (available on the nursing
server or from deans)
NCLEX: The
nursing licensure
®
exam (NCLEX-RN )
taken by all BS
graduates after
graduation.
NCLEX: We receive detailed reports each year about our students'
achievement, including pass rate and areas of strength and
weakness in numerous categories. These data are reviewed by the
Associate Dean and the Baccalaureate Program Committee and
are used to inform decisions about curriculum change, allocation of
resources for students, and faculty teaching assignments.
®
EBI Assessment: A
nursing education
exit assessment
survey prepared by
Educational
Benchmarking, Inc.
3. Uses management and leadership skills
to coordinate and promote quality health
care.
4. Uses empirical evidence and theoretical
knowledge from nursing and other
disciplines to influence health promotion
and disease prevention in individuals,
families and populations across the lifespan
and across healthcare environments.
5. Generates clinical judgments based on
assessment data and implements
interventions to achieve
individual/family/population-centered
outcomes.
6/18/2014
Evaluation Process
®
HESI RN Exit
Assessment Test:
EBI Assessment: Administered to graduating seniors. General
areas evaluated are: overall program effectiveness, role
development, core knowledge, core competencies, technical skills,
professional values, classmates, facilities & administration, course
lecture and interaction, work and class size, and quality of nursing
instruction. Results are compared with 6 "benchmark" schools as
well as the overall pool. We specifically ask graduates to evaluate
how well each of the Baccalaureate Program Outcomes was met.
The results are presented to faculty at Program Evaluation Day
each May, and areas of concern are forwarded to the appropriate
committee or department.
®
HESI RN Exit Assessment Test: A standardized exam that
simulates the RN licensure exam (NCLEX-RN). It is administered
to seniors to evaluate their preparation for the licensure exam. The
student receives detailed feedback from the test company and
reviews the results with his or her advisor. Students who are
identified to be at risk are targeted for remediation programs.
Students pay a fee for this exam. The Baccalaureate Program
Committee reviews the aggregate exam results. Topic scores are
sent to faculty, who add or emphasize course content as
appropriate.
Program changes made in
response to evaluation process
(2009-2014)
Clinical: standardization of evaluation
procedures within courses and across
the curriculum; use of pda’s as a
source of information about patient
assignment; addition of high-fidelity
simulation to clinical nursing courses
and group process simulations in
several courses; adoption of an
electronic heath records program;
additional critical care content for
students in related Synthesis
placements.
Curriculum: addition of a required
freshman professional development
seminar; development of a new
course called “Principles of Evidencebased Nursing” and revision of the
freshman and senior professional
nursing courses; greater emphasis on
population health throughout and
revision of community health courses
Addition of student portfolios as a
requirement of the final nursing
course
Addition of an annual career fair in
conjunction with the BC Career
Center
6. Collaborates with individuals, families,
community stakeholders and the
interdisciplinary health care team to ensure
safe, clinically efficacious, cost-effective
care.
7. Articulates the relationships among
intrapersonal, interpersonal, social,
environmental, cultural and ethical
influences on health care delivery in a
diverse, multicultural, global society.
Student Course
evaluations
Student Course evaluations: All students complete an online
evaluation of every professor/course at the end of each semester.
Evaluation summaries are reviewed by the dean, associate deans,
and department chair/assistant chair. Data (without the comments)
are available to students. For CSON only, students complete midsemester evaluations for clinical courses. Student satisfaction with
courses and professors informs decisions about curriculum
change, allocation of resources, faculty teaching assignments, and
the need for faculty development.
Academic Advisor
evaluations
Academic Advisor evaluations: New process in 2013 whereby all
undergraduates evaluate their academic advisors. Reports are
discussed with faculty during their annual evaluation meeting with
the dean and department chair and serve as a baseline for
improvement in the years to come.
8. Uses informatics and electronic
technology to document, evaluate, and
improve the quality of health care.
Senior Exit Interview
9. Articulates the influence of policy on
health care and professional nursing
practice.
10. Accesses information and seeks
experiences to promote personal and
professional growth, advance nursing
practice and improve the care of
individuals, families, and populations.
Senior Exit Interview: Members of all undergraduate graduating
classes attend a group exit interview conducted by the associate
dean. Topics include satisfaction with the curriculum, instruction,
student life, et al. We collect information about job placement at
this interview. Concerns are recorded and shared with CSON
faculty at the annual Program Evaluation meeting, where curricular
changes are suggested and forwarded to the Baccalaureate
Program committee and/or the Educational Policy Committee.
Employer and
alumni surveys
Employer and alumni surveys: We administer surveys to our
alums and employers every three years to determine satisfaction
with the preparation of our graduates, the program, job placement,
etc.
Student participation
in School of Nursing
Committees
Student participation in School of Nursing Committees:
Undergraduate students actively participate in the Baccalaureate
Program Committee and the Educational Policy Committee.
Student input informs the faculty about perceived successes of the
programs and especially about ideas for change.
Graduation and
Employment Data
for the 5 Past Years
Graduation and Employment Data for the 5 Past Years: Graduation
rate data are recorded annually and employment data are collected
during the senior exit interview and by the BC Career Center in a
survey of alumnae/i 6 months after graduation
Addition of more opportunities to
participate in global initiatives (service
learning opportunities in Nicaragua,
Haiti and the Dominican Republic;
community health nursing course in
Ecuador; joint course with
Switzerland with alternating course
locations each summer)
Development of CSON minors in
Hispanic Studies and Psychology
Development of a detailed student
advising guide
Faculty development program topics
in 2010-2014 included promoting
diversity and inclusiveness, clinical
evaluation, test construction,
genetics, and peer evaluation of
teaching
Increased efforts to promote diversity
and provide leadership opportunities
and networking for our minority and
underrepresented students (Nursing
Workforce Diversity grant with
continued funding from Price Family
Foundation for successful “Keys to
Inclusive Leadership in Nursing”
program; formation of a Diversity
Advisory Board that includes
undergraduate students)
Institution of revised procedures for
obtaining alumni and employer
satisfaction data and student
satisfaction with particular clinical
sites; institution of advisor evaluations
Addition of more resources for
licensure exam preparation and
course tutoring
6/18/2014