| Friday, 21 July 2006: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM | |||
| Obtaining Evidence of Reliability and Validity for Computerized Examinations Used in Graduate and Undergraduate Nursing Programs | |||
| Learning Objective #1: Discuss research results validating the use of computerized HESI exams as indicators of program effectiveness in graduate and undergraduate nursing education. | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe research conducted over six years of study to establish the predictive accuracy of HESI exams with success in nursing school and on the NCLEX-RN. | |||
| Computerized examinations are widely used in nursing programs to evaluate individual learning and achievement of curricular outcomes. However, evidence of the reliability and validity for some commercially available assessment tools is difficult to obtain. Advances in computer technology have created sophisticated computerized testing systems providing extensive exam analysis, but these systems may not be consistently employed by all exam producers, nor are reports of exam analysis evidence readily available in the peer-reviewed nursing literature. Because competency assessment of undergraduate and graduate nursing students seeking initial licensure or advanced practice certification must be fair and accurate, the methodology for establishing reliability and validity of such tools is critically important to faculties charged with selecting computerized examinations for use in their schools. This symposium builds on the work described in previous International Research conferences exploring diverse applications of computerized testing in academic and clinical nursing education programs using Health Education Systems Inc. (HESI) examinations. The first abstract illustrates the process of establishing reliability and validity for computerized, standardized examinations designed to assess the performance of graduate students enrolled in nurse practitioner programs who are preparing for national certification exams. The second abstract describes the methods used to establish reliability and validity of computerized nursing examinations produced by HESI in predicting NCLEX-RN outcomes and tracking student outcomes longitudinally in an associate degree (ADN) nursing curriculum and a baccalaureate (BSN) nursing program. The third abstract focuses on the predictive accuracy of the E2 with regard to NCLEX-RN outcomes for over 27,000 students in basic academic nursing programs analyzed over a five-year period, and describes data collection progress for the sixth year of analysis. | |||
| Organizer: | Ainslie Nibert, RN, PhD | ||
| The development of computerized, comprehensive exams for nurse practitioner programs Karen K. Olson, FNPC, PhD, FAANP, Pamela B. Stewart, MSN, RN, APRN-BC, Carolyn Merriman, APRN, MS, BC, Ainslie Nibert, RN, PhD | |||
| Evaluating student success & curricular outcomes with HESI exams in ADN and BSN programs Karen Murray, DrPH, RN, Carolyn Merriman, APRN, MS, BC, Ainslie Nibert, RN, PhD | |||
| Reliability and Validity of the HESI Exit Exam: Research Findings from Six Years of Study Ainslie Nibert, RN, PhD, Anne Young, RN, EdD, Carolyn Adamson, PhD | |||