eprintid: 10020402
rev_number: 8
eprint_status: archive
userid: 587
dir: disk0/00/02/04/02
datestamp: 2014-10-31 12:51:39
lastmod: 2017-12-07 21:36:46
status_changed: 2014-10-31 12:51:39
type: thesis
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Labonte, Joseph Sylvio.
title: The assessment of problem-solving in nursing education : an evaluation of a written simulation
ispublished: unpub
divisions: B14
note: Thesis: (PhD) University of London Institute of Education, 2002.
abstract: In practice disciplines, such as nursing, there has been increasing concern about examinations, which, it
is argued, are problematic, since nurses' performance in written examination appears to bear little
relationship to their level of proficiency in the clinical setting. To be realistic, nursing examinations have
to be closely related to what the nurse does in practice.
The Problem-Solving Case History, the development and evaluation of which forms the basis of this
thesis, was, therefore, developed as a written simulation test involving the care management of a group
of patients during a span of duty. The test confronts students with the kind of information they have to
interpret and act upon in the clinical situation. This requires them to recall the principles of nursing care
in a way similar to real-life.
This study concerns the description and validation of the Problem-Solving Case History. Both qualitative
and quantitative approaches are used to evaluate its implementation and to investigate its validity and
reliability. A variety of methods was used to collect data for the validation. The methods include thought
verbalisation, semi-structured interviewing, questionnaires and statistical tests of reliability. Answers are
sought to the following questions:
• How valid and reliable is the PSCH in testing problem-solving skills?
• Can the PSCH test be used as a measure of professional competence?
• Does the PSCH simulate the 'real-life' situation or event?
• How reliable is the judgement made by markers of the students' performance?
There is evidence, from the data analysed, that the PSCH seems to have clear application in nursing
education and that it is closely related to practice. Data have elicited the use of problem-solving skills and
the individual differences of approach to common tasks.
It is recognised that professional competence can never be assessed fully without the inclusion of
performance assessment in the work-place. Nevertheless, written papers will always have a part to play
in assessing professional competence.
date: 2002
date_type: completed
official_url: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.398874
oa_status: green
thesis_class: doctoral_open
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
full_text_status: public
pages: 401
institution: Institute of Education, University of London
thesis_type: Doctoral
citation:        Labonte, Joseph Sylvio.;      (2002)    The assessment of problem-solving in nursing education : an evaluation of a written simulation.                   Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London.     Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10020402/1/__d6_Shared%24_SUPP_Library_User%20Services_Circulation_Inter-Library%20Loans_IOE%20ETHOS_ETHOS%20digitised%20by%20ILL_LABONTE%2C%20J.S.pdf