The Benchmark Project

1. The Benchmark Project

2. The Broken Links Illustrated Clinical Instructor: “How is your day going?” Student: “It’s been great! I got to start an IV and re-insert the patient’s NG tube.”

3. We needed clarity! Could we identify and agree on a composite of behaviors and skills that characterizes the new RN graduate? Could these behaviors and skills be leveled a nursing curriculum?

4. Proposed Project To develop a concise, reference document that delineates the critical thinking skills, clinical skills, and clinical performance expectations that need to be achieved by a nursing student during each clinical course.

5. Operational Definitions Skills Competencies Benchmarks

6. Background Research

7. Categories of Professional Behavior • Professional Scope of Practice • Nursing Process and Critical Thinking • Communication and Collaboration • Caring • Teaching • Leadership and Management of Care

8. In the change of shift report at 0700, the night nurse stated that the patient had a restless night and is finally sleeping. The student nurse wakes the patient to perform an assessment. The student’s decision (select all that apply): • follows the ANA Standards of Practice. • is appropriate to the professional role. • demonstrates a lack of patient advocacy. • focuses on tasks, rather than the patient. • was inappropriate for the student role. Test Question

9. Example: Professional Scope of Practice Role Performance Behavior: “Demonstrates basic understanding of the scope of nursing practice.” Instructional Strategy for Beginners: In clinical conference have students describe an action of their nurse that demonstrated one of the ANA Standards of Practice.

10. Sample Instructional Strategy -- Professional Scope of Practice Scenario for discussion for Beginners: A student nurse is assigned to a patient with abdominal injuries caused by a motor vehicle accident. The patient is the same age as the student nurse. The student nurse goes into the patient’s room to take the patient’s vital signs. The patient says, “Have you been a student for a long time? How did you decide to become a nurse?” How would the professional nurse respond?

11. Example: Professional Scope of Practice Role Performance Behavior: “Demonstrates understanding of the scope of nursing practice.” Instructional Strategy for Beginning Intermediate students: In clinical conference, frame questions to assist the students to reflect on their professional role. “How have you demonstrated an ANA Standards of Practice in the care of your patient?”

12. Example: Professional Scope of Practice Role Performance Behavior: “Demonstrates understanding of the scope of nursing practice.” Instructional Strategy for Intermediate students: In clinical conference, frame questions to assist the students to reflect on their professional role. “Describe how you implemented one of the ANA Standards of Professional Performance in the care of your patient today.”

13. Example: Professional Scope of Practice Role Performance Behavior: “Demonstrates understanding of the scope of nursing practice.” Instructional Strategy for Advanced students: In clinical conference, frame questions to assist the students to reflect on their professional role. “How have you demonstrated a Standard of Practice in the care of your patient?”

14. So What? This document will be available on the ADN Directors’ website and may be adapted or changed by any nursing program. Does this document differ from a clinical evaluation tool ?

15. Questions for Reflection Have we identified the professional role behaviors we expect of students in our nursing program? How are we fostering the development of professional role behaviors in our students throughout the curriculum? How do we bring all faculty on board in the re-design and paradigm shift of nursing education?

16. Questions?