Summative Skills Competency Testing Policy

For Applicable Clinical Courses in the Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Program

Skills competency testing is used for the summative evaluation of students enrolled in all pre-licensure BSN clinical courses.

1. A grade of Meets Expectations (pass) on a timed skills competency examination using the proper competency testing form (posted in CANVAS under PRAC LAB skills) and/or using SimCapture for Skills is required PRIOR to performing the skill in the clinical setting unless the student is with assigned faculty at the clinical site AND has practiced the skill in the Center for Experiential Learning—Performance Lab prior to performing the skill in the clinical setting.
2. Skills competency small group courses will be presented by assigned clinical faculty, practice lab preceptors and/or nurse educators from the Center for Experiential Learning (CEL).
3. The readings and videos on Canvas and other assigned materials in the skills modules provide opportunities to learn and prepare for the assigned skills competency small group courses and skill testing.
4. Students are expected to independently practice the skill to be tested, either in-person in the practice lab during open lab or using the Modular Skills Trainer (as appropriate)
5. Summative skills competency testing may be in-person with an in-person evaluator in a room in the CEL; via a Sim Capture for Skills video using the Modular Skills Trainer (MST) saved by the student and evaluated by faculty on-line; or during a skills Immersion review (for applicable clinical courses only). Skills competency testing will not be done at the clinical setting.
6. Students are expected to bring a laptop or tablet with an available USB port, or a dongle that fits Apple products and provides a USB port for all small groups, independent skills practice in the CEL, and summative skills testing.
7. Testing expectation for students:
   1. All skills testing, whether evaluated in person or electronically will be done at the College of Nursing attended by the student, in the assigned testing location.
   1. Uniform: Clean WSU Nursing or alternate clean scrubs. Other aspects of the dress code must also be adhered to, such as pulling shoulder length or longer hair back.
8. The appropriate skills competency forms will be used to grade student performance, but students will not have access to this resource during testing.
9. The most current competency validation forms are posted in each clinical course (when applicable) in Canvas under the Practice Lab-Skills. These testing forms were approved by clinical leads of each semester.
10. The amount of time permitted for testing, including documentation in the electronic health record (EHR Tutor) in ATI, is clearly posted on each skills competency form used during the testing. Students going over the assigned length of time will receive a grade of “Requires Retest” (failing).
11. For in-person testing:
    1. Prior to in-person testing, evaluators will read a standardized introductory statement explaining testing requirements and expectations and provide a quick room orientation.
    2. Evaluators will act as the patient or patient voice, answer questions, cue the student or give feedback during or immediately after the skills test, particularly if other students are waiting to test.
12. For testing completed using Sim Capture Skills:
    1. Prior to in-person testing, students will read a standardized introductory statement explaining testing requirements and expectations.
    1. Students will post a video to SimCapture Skills (SCS) by the assigned time and date. Assigned clinical faculty or an alternate evaluator will review the video and provide feedback using the evaluation tool posted to SCS and located next to or under the video saved by the student.
13. All students will be reminded about the allowed time (posted on the skills competency form) during the introductory statement (provided in-person or in writing) and a timer will be used to ensure that a student does not exceed the permitted amount of time. As soon as the timer sounds, the student testing in person must stop what they are doing as the timed test is done. Students posting a skills competency test video to Sim Capture for Skills also need to meet the time expectation, including documenting in EHR Tutor.
14. In extreme situations (such as a death in the family, hospitalization), a deadline extension may be made with an individual faculty member, if permitted by the clinical lead of that semester.
15. If a student does not complete a skills test on the assigned date for attempts 1-2, for any reason other than extreme situations, they forfeit one opportunity to pass the test for each missed test attempt, will be counseled by assigned clinical faculty with a Performance Improvement Plan, and will be assigned an alternate date/time to test. If a student misses the 3^rd attempt to pass the skills competency test, they will forfeit the opportunity to retest and will receive a failing grade in the course.

GRADING AND EXAM RETAKE PLAN:

1. Students can make a maximum of three (3) attempts to obtain the required Meets Expectation (passing) grade.
2. Failure to pass a skills competency test after two (2) attempts will result in formal counseling of the student with the assigned clinical faculty for the course. A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) will be provided to the student failing to meet the expectations listed on the relevant skills competency form after two attempts. A third failure of a summative skills competency test will result in a failing grade in the relevant clinical course.
3. Evaluators for skills testing include assigned clinical faculty, alternate faculty who teach the same clinical course, or nurse educators in the CEL (Center for Experiential Learning). Students will not know who the evaluator for a particular skills test is until they arrive for in-person testing or receive feedback from an evaluator on Sim Capture for Skills.
4. Students must practice and attempt to perform all steps on the competency form as part of the skill validation test, whether they are highlighted.
5. For each item on the competency testing form, one of two grades will be given:
6. DC/VC (Demonstrates correctly/Verbalized Correctly) or
7. TE/VE (Technique Error/Verbalization Error)—including missed steps or failing to finish a skills test in the allowed time.
8. Students must earn DC/VC on all highlighted steps (100%) to earn a “Meets Expectations” passing grade on the skills competency test, whether this is an in-person skills test or via a saved video on Sim Capture for Skills using the MST and evaluated electronically.
9. Students scoring Requires Retest (failing) two attempts of a skills competency test must be evaluated by an alternate evaluator, particularly if attempts one and two were graded by the assigned clinical faculty member.

Two options for overall grading/assessing for each skill performed during the exam and an explanation for each grade include:

	Qualifications for each grade
Meets Expectations (Pass):	Performed or Verbalized Every Required-Highlighted Step in the allowed time, including documentation in EHR Tutor. Self-identified and corrected error(s) or missed step(s).
Requires Retest (Fail):	Unable to perform or verbalize all required-highlighted steps and/or the skill, including documentation in EHR Tutor, was not completed in the allowed time. Did not self-identify and/or correct error(s) or missed step(s).