title: To pass or to fail? Understanding the factors considered by faculty in the clinical evaluation of nursing students.
abstract: Making the decision to pass or to fail a nursing student is difficult for nurse educators, yet one that all educators face at some point in time. To make this decision, nurse educators draw from their past experiences and personal reflections on the situation. Using the qualitative method of critical incident technique, the authors asked educators to describe a time when they had to make a decision about whether to pass or fail a student in the clinical setting. The findings describe student and faculty factors important in clinical evaluation decisions, demonstrate the benefits of reflective practice to nurse educators, and support the utility of critical incident technique not only as research methodology, but also as a technique for reflective practice.
authors.affiliation: Community Practice Department, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, United States. Electronic address: jkdebrew@uncg.edu.
authors.forename: Jacqueline Kayler
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: DeBrew
authors.affiliation: Parent-Child Department, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, United States. Electronic address: lplewall@uncg.edu.
authors.forename: Lynne Porter
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lewallen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003657:Decision Making; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D013338:Students, Nursing; D014481:United States
keywords: Clinical education; Nursing education; Reflective practice; Student evaluation