NONPF Issue Statement on Clinical Evaluation of APN/NP Students

The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties is committed to quality advanced practice nursing/nurse practitioner education. Faculty observation of the student's clinical performance with patients is to be done in any type of care setting and any type of program (acute or primary care). The setting in which the evaluation occurs should be familiar to both faculty and students. NONPF wishes to reaffirm its commitment to this standard and to the related criterion (VI.A.4) put forth in the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs. The National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education stipulates in this criterion the need to "evaluate students cumulatively based on clinical observation of student performance by NP faculty and the clinical preceptor's assessment," and elaborates, "Direct clinical observation of student performance is essential."

Whereas:

1. the consumer deserves and demands quality delivery of care by competent clinicians;
2. patient safety must be maintained;
3. faculty are responsible for evaluating student progress in clinical application of their knowledge and skills with input from preceptors;
4. evaluation is geared toward assessment of performance of the nurse practitioner role within the student's specialty scope of practice;
5. complex decision making and the application and integration of knowledge needed in advanced practice requires time for students to process and then demonstrate their skills.
6. distance education programs are increasing geographical distances between faculty and students;
7. time and the cost of travel for faculty to observe each student more than once in the clinical site during each clinical practicum may be prohibitive;
8. volume and type of patient mix available on any one day may vary considerably and constrain the evaluation of complex skills; and
9. limited space and the fast paced clinical environment may limit the type of in-depth evaluation of students;

NONPF reaffirms the importance of direct observation of students' clinical skills with patients by faculty and supports multiple venues for direct observation as long as the evaluation process contains critical elements. Direct observation may include two or more of the following:

1. The gold standard is faculty observation of the student's clinical application of skills with patients in care settings familiar to the faculty and student over time.
2. The evaluation of the student's clinical performance with patients in multiple venues, such as the student's assigned practice site, the faculty's practice site, a clinical laboratory setting within an academic setting, and a live remote broadcast.
3. The evaluation with patients, live models, or standardized patients in a classroom or simulated setting (e.g., pelvic examination skills).
4. The regular faculty observation and evaluation of students' clinical progress during the clinical practical with feedback to students.

Approved by NONPF Board of Directors on April 2, 2003

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
1522 K Street, NW, Ste. 702
Washington, DC 20005
tel: (202) 289-8044 ● fax: (202) 289-8046
nonpf@nonpf.org

President: Ann O'Sullivan, PhD, CRNP, CPNP, FAAN