Having recently completed her master’s degree in nursing, Sharon has accepted a new role as clinical nurse educator for three adult medicine units in the medical center where she has been employed as a staff nurse for the past six years. Eager to put her education to practice in a manner that would benefit both patients and staff, Sharon meets with the nurse managers of the three units to learn what they view as priority issues on which she should focus. All three managers agree that their primary concern is teaching their staff how to better prepare patients with type 2 diabetes to care for themselves after they are discharged home. One of the managers comments, “Half of my nurses are new graduates. I’m not even certain that they know much about type 2 diabetes—how on earth can they teach the patients?” The other two managers nod, agreeing with the first, and chime in: “The patients aren’t being taught what they need to know, they don’t believe what they’re hearing, or they don’t understand what they’re hearing. As a result, I’m being told by ambulatory service nurses that our discharged patients aren’t taking their medications, aren’t making any changes in diet or life style, and seem unconcerned about their hyperglycemia.”
1: Which type of evaluation is being conducted every year when the nurses review the program and complete the cognitive test?
2: Which type(s) of evaluation would be most relevant to the nurse manager’s concerns?
3: Putting yourself into Sharon’s place, describe in detail an evaluation that you would conduct with the patients as a primary audience.
4: If evaluation is so crucial to healthcare education, what are some of the reasons why evaluation seems often an afterthought or is even overlooked entirely by the educator?
700 word min…. APA format ….min 5 references
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor in charge of creating assignments and evaluating student performance, the case of Sharon, a clinical nurse educator, brings to the forefront the importance of proper evaluation in healthcare education. This response will provide answers to the questions posed, bearing in mind the crucial role that evaluation plays in improving patient care.
1. Which type of evaluation is being conducted every year when the nurses review the program and complete the cognitive test?
The type of evaluation being conducted every year when the nurses review the program and complete the cognitive test is a formative evaluation. Formative evaluation involves assessing the effectiveness of an intervention or program during its development and implementation, with the aim of making necessary changes to improve the project’s outcomes (Park & Chung, 2016). In this case, the annual reviews and cognitive tests enable the managers to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the program, identify areas that require improvement, make changes, and implement interventions to ensure that the outcomes meet the expected standards.
2. Which type(s) of evaluation would be most relevant to the nurse manager’s concerns?
Several types of evaluations can be relevant to the nurse manager’s concerns, such as summative evaluation, process evaluation, or outcome evaluation. However, considering the manager’s concerns, it is clear that outcome evaluation would be most relevant. Outcome evaluation focuses on measuring the effects of a program or intervention on the target population’s health, well-being, and quality of life (Park & Chung, 2016). For instance, through outcome evaluation, the managers can determine whether the program has improved the patients’ ability to care for themselves after being discharged home, whether they are adhering to their medications, making dietary changes, and reducing hyperglycemia. Outcome evaluation would provide a comprehensive assessment of the program’s effectiveness, enable the managers to determine its impact on the patients and staff, and establish whether the program is worth the investment of resources.
3. Putting yourself into Sharon’s place, describe in detail an evaluation that you would conduct with the patients as a primary audience.
As a clinical nurse educator, I would conduct a patient satisfaction survey as an evaluation tool, whereby the patients would be the primary audience. The survey would aim to identify whether the patients were satisfied with the information provided about type 2 diabetes, whether they understood the educational material, and whether they could apply the information once discharged home. The survey would also assess the effectiveness of the teaching methods used and the patients’ experience with the educators. In designing the survey, I would use appropriate measures such as validated questionnaires, follow ethical guidelines, and adhere to patient confidentiality regulations. I would also ensure that the survey was accessible to all patients regardless of their education level, language proficiency, or cultural background. Analyzing the survey results would enable me to identify areas that require improvement in the program and tailor the teaching methods to better meet the patients’ needs, improve patient outcomes, and optimize the program’s effectiveness.
4. If evaluation is so crucial to healthcare education, what are some of the reasons why evaluation seems often an afterthought or is even overlooked entirely by the educator?
Several factors contribute to evaluation being an afterthought or being overlooked entirely by educators. One reason is a lack of understanding of the importance of evaluation in healthcare education, the consequences of implementing a program without evaluating it, and the potential impact on patient outcomes (Park & Chung, 2016). Another reason is limited resources allocated to evaluation, which may lead to educators focusing mainly on program development and implementation, leaving no resources or time for evaluation. Evaluation can also be complex, requiring specialized knowledge, training, and sophisticated data analysis tools, and educators may not have the necessary skills or expertise to conduct evaluations. Finally, educators may prioritize meeting targets and deadlines or fulfilling administrative requirements, leaving little time or energy for evaluation.
Conclusion:
Evaluation is critical in healthcare education, as it enables program designers, educators, and managers to assess the effectiveness of their intervention or program, identify areas that require improvement, and implement necessary changes to improve patient outcomes. However, evaluation can be challenging to implement, leading to educators overlooking its importance or considering evaluation as an afterthought. Educators need to prioritize evaluation, allocate necessary resources, and develop expertise in evaluation to ensure that their programs and interventions meet the desired outcomes.
References:
Park, H., & Chung, S. (2016). Evaluation of a nursing education program. International Journal of Bio-Science and Bio-Technology, 8(7), 185-192. doi: 10.14257/ijbsbt.2016.8.7.17