Confirming nurse practitioner student competence with simulated clinical exams

25^th World Nursing and Nurse Practitioner Conference

October 22-23, 2018 Osaka, Japan

Tamera Pearson

Western Carolina University, USA

Keynote: Adv Practice Nurs

Abstract :

Utilizing simulation to assess nurse practitioner studentâ??s clinical competency ensures an opportunity to validate specific knowledge and advanced practice skills. This presentation will provide an overview of the development of low-fidelity simulation scenarios for clinical competency examinations. Such exams are scheduled throughout the curriculum to allow intermittent observation of student performance and ensure achievement of specific skills and to contribute to the cumulative evaluation of clinical competence. Simulated clinical competency exams also serve as summative evaluation to assess student outcomes toward the end of a various clinical courses. To effectively implement clinical competency exams within a nurse practitioner program clear processes and policies are needed to provide guidance for both faculty and students. Specific topics for simulation scenarios can be identified and mapped across the clinical courses to ensure that a variety of clinical issues are represented while avoiding duplication. Components and examples of simulations scenarios for specific patient populations (adult, pediatric, geriatric) will be presented along with the grading rubric used to evaluate clinical competency.

Biography :

Tamera Pearson is a Professor and the Director of the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Western Carolina University - School of Nursing. She has 20 years of involvements in nursing education, teaching undergraduate and graduate level students both in the classroom and online. She has published more than 15 articles on clinical and education topics in reputable journals. Additionally, she brings many years of practical nursing experience and maintains clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner in conjunction with her faculty role.

E-mail: tlpearson@wcu.edu