Preparing Nursing Students and Faculty for Assessment Testing

Purpose: Preparing for an exam is integral for student success. Likewise, remediation after an exam in preparation for a re-test remains essential for student learning and is linked to the same successful outcomes. For the best outcomes on assessment testing, students need to be prepared by faculty and supported by administrators.

Methods: An assessment testing plan was developed, implemented and used by nursing students to improve their assessment scores, with later correlation to NCLEX outcomes. The assessment testing plan had two parts: preparation and remediation. Preparation was integrated into the nursing course and implemented with all students. Remediation was completed with students who were not successful on the assessment test and to prepare these students for the re-test. While there are many strategies for preparation and remediation for assessment testing, the best ones are those that students use and that are associated with the success sought by both students and nursing educators. After both assessment tests, students were surveyed regarding their use of the assessment testing plan.

Results: This assessment testing plan was used with baccalaureate nursing students at a mid-west university setting. This plan met with varied success dependent on student usage.  When student usage increased, this remediation plan was associated with improved assessment testing score outcomes.  

Conclusion: This assessment testing plan had success with students who wanted to study for their exams and who wanted to know how to be successful. Further examination of factors associated with student usage is needed.