Developing a clinical performance logbook for nursing students receiving cardiac care field training

BACKGROUND: Assessment is one of the teachers’ most important activities in teaching process which bears many purposes. With the rapid change of different sciences,old methods and tools are not meeting the present needs. Since in medical sciences, half of the educational course, including nursing courses,occurs at patients’ bedside, the assessment of clinical competency is of great importance. In this study the goals , skills and expected level of competency for each skill and procedural skills needed for training nursing studentsreceivingcardiac care field training compiled. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a descriptive measurement study conducted in Esfahan in 2010-2011. Research community was nursing trainers who are responsible for training students takingcardiac care field training coursesin state medical science universities all over the country. Sampling was performed first in the form of the multi-stage cluster and then after selecting the colleges, their trainers entered the study in the form of census. To gather the information, after literature review and performing a focusing group, an initial questionnaire was compiled and survey was conducted using Delphi three-stage method. RESULTS: After literature review and focus group, 23 modules and 142 skills in the first section and 14 general procedural skills and 15 special procedural skills in the second stage were compiled. Finally after passing the Delphi stages, 150 skills in the form of 23 modules in the first section and 14 general procedural skill and 13 special procedural skills were obtainedin the second section. The expectancy levels of all the skills were also determined. CONCLUSION: This study has introduced an assessment pattern in the form of clinical performance logbook which can be a valuable tool for assessing the clinical competency of nursing students receiving field training in cardiac care units(CCU).