title: The licensure exam in nursing degree courses: a survey in the four universities of the Lazio Region.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, the nursing licensure exam is at the centre of a national and international wide debate. This debate regards the planning of the nursing licensure exam in many Universities and the competences that this exam must certify to ensure quality, effectiveness, and ethics of nursing care from newly-graduated nurses to general public. The aim of this study was to describe the practical tests used for the licensure exam in the four Universities of the Lazio Region. The researchers analyzed the type of practical tests used and the field of competences assessed according to the degrees of performance defined by the Dublin Descriptors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected through semi-structured interviews to Presidents, Directors and Lecturers of nursing degree courses and through direct retrieval of the written texts of the licensure exam. Two researchers analyzed the practical tests. A special lecture-grid divided into three different sections to interpret the data was created. Statistical analysis was carried out by means of Epi-info 3.5.1/2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of data showed that the most used tests were Discussion of theoretical and practical aspects in context (33.6%), followed by the Test with open and/or closed questions (23,9%). Psychomotor and relational skills tests were little used. The most valued field of competence was the cognitive one (85,5%) that assessed, above all, the storage of the concept. The ability to interpret data and solve problems was less valued.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed the high discrepancy in the types of tests used in the four Universities of the Lazio Region. Universities found it difficult to assess psychomotor and relational skills of the students. Most of the cognitive tests utilized omitted the evaluation of mastery of complex competences. Therefore, there is the necessity of a new planning of the nursing licensure exam to overcome these critical issues.
authors.affiliation: RN, MSN, PhD student, Nursing Science, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: RN, MSN, PhD student, Nursing Science, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virgolesi
authors.affiliation: Director Educational Pillar, Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship Ipasvi, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A M L
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pulimeno
authors.affiliation: Director, Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship Ipasvi, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.affiliation: Researcher, Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship Ipasvi, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stievano
authors.affiliation: PhD, MSN, RN Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venturini
authors.affiliation: RN, MSN Professor of Nursing, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: De Marinis
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D003625:Data Collection; D004506:Education, Nursing; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008008:Licensure, Nursing; D014495:Universities
keywords: Bachelor degree; Nursing education; Nursing licensure exam; Student nursing