Design: A comparative design was used to study the effects of benchmarking-for-progression policies on students’ mean E2 scores.

Population, Sample, Setting, Years: The sample consisted of responses to a questionnaire by 186 RN program directors who administered the E2 to 7,156 students in academic year 2001-2002.

Concept or Variables Studied Together: Comparisons were made of students’ mean E2 scores in programs that employed E2 benchmarking-for-progression policies with scores in programs without such policies.

Methods: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and frequencies were used to analyze the data.

Findings: Mean E2 scores were significantly higher (p < .05) in programs that required achievement of a benchmark E2 score than in programs that did not have this requirement. Mean E2 scores were significantly lower (p < .01) when E2 scores comprised less than 5% of the final capstone course grades as compared to more than 5% of the final grades.

Conclusions: Findings indicated that use of progression policies resulted in improved E2 mean scores. Weighting the E2 score as a portion of the final capstone course grade was effective in increasing mean scores, but significantly (p < .01) higher mean scores were observed only when weighting exceeded 5% of the final course grade. Implications: These findings may be helpful to nursing faculties who are considering adoption of progression policies stipulating achievement of a specific E2 benchmark score as a requirement for requirement.

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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004