Student Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX 6111 Assessment and Evaluation in Nursing Education
Prof. Name
Date
Criteria and Rubric Development
In nursing education, the creation of well-defined criteria and rubrics is critical for accurately evaluating student learning outcomes. This is especially important in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Mountainside Teaching Hospital, where students are trained to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare (Nickum et al., 2022). Within the BSN curriculum, the course “Enhancing Palliative Care for Geriatric Patients in Long-Term Care Settings” demands precise assessment tools, as it prepares students to meet the growing needs of an aging population. Nurses must be competent in providing holistic, compassionate, and evidence-based palliative care, making the development of specific criteria and rubrics an essential component of the educational process.
Part 1: Assessment Description and Rationale
Learning outcomes for this course are assessed primarily through reflective assignments. These assignments leverage virtual simulations, palliative care documentation, and experiential exercises to promote self-reflection, critical thinking, and empathy. Students are encouraged to record their interactions, personal experiences, and emotional responses in palliative care settings, integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application (Schooley et al., 2024; Waldrop et al., 2023). This reflective process fosters personal and professional growth, enabling students to recognize the complex challenges of palliative care and enhance their patient-centered approach (D’Aoust et al., 2021).
Assignments align with the course objectives and focus on delivering compassionate geriatric care (Ramazanzadeh et al., 2023). Structured reflection helps students develop self-awareness, critical thinking, and ethical sensitivity, ensuring they can thoughtfully integrate theory with practice (Schooley et al., 2024). This approach equips learners with both the knowledge and practical skills required to provide comprehensive care for older adults.
Assembling and Administering Tests for Learning Outcomes
Designing valid and reliable assessments involves several structured steps. First, instructors must clearly identify the learning outcomes aligned with course objectives. Competencies are then assessed through appropriate methods, including multiple-choice questions, short-answer items, or essays (Shahzad et al., 2022). Test items are crafted to evaluate students’ comprehension of palliative care principles, the application of evidence-based strategies, and their ability to navigate ethical dilemmas.
Tests are organized with clear instructions regarding time limits, resources, and formats. A variety of question types ensures coverage of knowledge, application, and critical thinking. Fairness is maintained by implementing standardized testing procedures, accommodations for learners with disabilities, and rubric-guided scoring for consistency and objectivity (Ramazanzadeh et al., 2023). Potential challenges in assessment alignment can be mitigated by diversifying evaluation strategies to more fully capture student competencies.
Domains of Learning the Tool Will Evaluate
Assessment in this course is comprehensive, encompassing cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains to cover the full range of palliative care competencies.
| Domain | Evaluation Methods | Skills Assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive | Exams, quizzes | Knowledge of palliative care principles, symptom management, ethical reasoning (Efendi et al., 2023) |
| Psychomotor | Clinical simulations, observations | Pain assessment, medication administration, patient comfort techniques |
| Affective | Reflective assignments, self-assessments | Empathy, ethical awareness, cultural competence (Efendi et al., 2023) |
Despite this multidimensional approach, there are knowledge gaps in evaluating the interplay of these domains in real-world practice. Integrated assessments can better capture how well students translate theoretical knowledge into practical, compassionate care (Enoch et al., 2022).
Grading Expectations Communication to Learners
Transparent communication of grading expectations is crucial. Instructors provide detailed rubrics outlining criteria for each performance level: Non-performance, Basic, Proficient, and Distinguished. These rubrics specify behaviors, skills, and knowledge expected at each level while aligning with learning outcomes (Ramazanzadeh et al., 2023). Students are informed about the weighting of each criterion, and examples of high-quality work are provided to help learners gauge progress. Clear grading expectations guide students toward achieving excellence while fostering accountability and self-reflection.
Processes for Determining Validity and Reliability
Ensuring validity requires aligning assessment items with course objectives and consulting subject matter experts for content review (De Brún et al., 2022). Reliability is maintained through standardized administration, item analysis (including difficulty and discrimination indices), rubric-guided grading, and pilot testing. These processes collectively enhance the accuracy and fairness of assessments (D’Aoust et al., 2021).
Strengths include content alignment with objectives, expert review, and rigorous reliability analysis. Limitations involve potential subjectivity in content validation and restricted pilot testing. Maintaining consistent conditions across multiple testing environments remains a challenge; however, ongoing refinement ensures improved assessment accuracy (De Brún et al., 2022).
Part 2: Creating a Grading Rubric
Course Title: Enhancing Palliative Care for Geriatric Patients in Long-Term Care Settings
Learners: BSN nursing students
Faculty: Nursing educators specializing in palliative care
Date: February 2025
| Criteria | Non-performance | Basic | Proficient | Distinguished |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1: Understanding of palliative care principles | Cannot articulate basic concepts | Articulates some concepts | Demonstrates thorough understanding | Provides in-depth understanding with application in complex scenarios |
| C2: Application of evidence-based strategies | Cannot identify strategies | Identifies some strategies | Applies effectively in most situations | Applies strategies in complex scenarios with analysis of strengths/weaknesses |
| C3: Communication with patients and families | Ineffective communication | Communicates with some effectiveness | Communicates effectively and empathetically | Demonstrates exceptional communication fostering trust, with clear evidence |
| C4: Integration of ethical principles | Fails to recognize ethical dilemmas | Recognizes dilemmas and attempts application | Integrates ethical principles effectively | Navigates complex dilemmas with exceptional ethical judgment |
| C5: Cultural competence | Shows insensitivity to cultural needs | Some awareness of cultural considerations | Demonstrates cultural competence | Exhibits exceptional sensitivity and adaptability, recognizing underlying assumptions |
| C6: Concise Writing (APA Format) | Lacks APA adherence and clarity | Basic adherence with some clarity | Concise and consistent APA adherence | Exceptionally concise, accurate APA formatting enhancing clarity and professionalism |
Assumptions
The rubric assumes that learners have varying prior knowledge and skills related to palliative care. It also assumes that students can progressively acquire and demonstrate mastery of competencies as they engage with course content, learning activities, and instructor guidance. The rubric progression reflects expected improvement in learner performance as competencies develop.
Conclusion
Developing criteria and rubrics for the “Enhancing Palliative Care for Geriatric Patients in Long-Term Care Settings” course requires careful consideration of learning outcomes and assessment methods. Clearly defined performance levels aligned with competencies provide transparent grading expectations. Validity and reliability are ensured through content alignment, expert review, standardized procedures, and item analysis. Ultimately, well-structured rubrics support students in mastering essential skills for palliative care delivery, improving both educational outcomes and patient care readiness.
References
D’Aoust, R. F., Brown, K. M., McIltrot, K., Adamji, J.-M. D., Johnson, H., Seibert, D. C., & Ling, C. G. (2021). A competency roadmap for advanced practice nursing education using PRIME-NP. Nursing Outlook, 70(2), 337–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.10.009
De Brún, A., Rogers, L., Drury, A., & Gilmore, B. (2022). Evaluation of a formative peer assessment in research methods teaching using an online platform: A mixed methods pre-post study. Nurse Education Today, 108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105166
NURS FPX 6111 Assessment 2 Criteria and Rubric Development
Efendi, D., Gracia, J., Natalia, R., & Chen, K.-H. (2023). The effect of virtual reality on cognitive, affective, and psychomotor outcomes in nursing staff: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BioMed Central Nursing, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01312-x
Enoch, L. C., Abraham, R. M., & Singaram, V. S. (2022). A comparative analysis of the impact of online, blended, and face-to-face learning on medical students’ clinical competency in the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domains. BioMed Central Medical Education, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03777-x
Nickum, A., Johnson, E., Raszewski, R., & Rafferty, R. (2022). Focus on nursing point-of-care tools: Application of a new evaluation rubric. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 110(3), 358–364. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1257
Ramazanzadeh, N., Ghahramanian, A., Zamanzadeh, V., Valizadeh, L., & Ghaffarifar, S. (2023). Development and psychometric testing of a clinical reasoning rubric based on the nursing process. BioMed Central Medical Education, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04060-3
NURS FPX 6111 Assessment 2 Criteria and Rubric Development
Schooley, A., Spoljoric, D., Covington, K., Garwood, J., Klosinski, K., & Mordi, S. (2024). Reflective clinical judgment questions to educate the next generation of nurses. Journal of Nursing Education, 63(3), 182–185. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20240108-01
Shahzad, S., Younas, A., & ALI, P. (2022). Social justice education in nursing: An integrative review of teaching and learning approaches and students’ and educators’ experiences. Nurse Education Today, 110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105272
Waldrop, J., Reynolds, S. S., McMillian, J. M., Graton, M., & Ledbetter, L. (2023). Evaluation of DNP program essentials of doctoral nursing education: A scoping review. Journal of Professional Nursing, 46, 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.11.009