CompetencyCompass
In a pilot project, an instrument and a process for the standardised recording of competence development during the internships of tertiary students will be developed.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Health Professions
- Institute(s) Academic-Practice-Partnership Insel Gruppe/ BFH
- Funding organisation Others
- Duration (planned) 01.08.2024 - 31.12.2025
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Schmitt
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Project staff
Rachel Strahm
Gesche Gleichner
Prof. Dr. Mirjam Körner
Iris Sterkele
Prof. Dr. Irene König
Dr. Dr. Slavko Rogan - Partner Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern
- Keywords Education, studies, quality
Situation
As part of their training or studies, prospective healthcare professionals generally have to complete various internships in clinical practice. The internships last several weeks or months. The content and formal requirements for internships are defined, but vary depending on the professional group and level of training. In clinical practice, students are trained and supervised by practice trainers and qualified specialists. The training should be of the best possible quality. In order to derive and implement measures to maintain and improve the quality the development of students' skills should be better mapped. There is currently no suitable instrument for this. In a pilot project, an instrument and a process for the standardised recording of competence development during the internships of tertiary students in the field of nursing (HF, FH) are to be created, implemented and evaluated.
Course of action
The aim is to systematically assess students' competences in four areas—subject-specific, methodological, social, and personal—at the start and end of the practical part of their training. The Situational Judgment Tests (SJT) system in the form of multiple-choice answers was chosen for the measurement. It is therefore a formative questionnaire. The SJTs consist of practical case vignettes in which several possible courses of action are listed. No answer is “wrong,” but the options differ in terms of their complexity. Candidates choose the option that best corresponds to their current level of training. The test is therefore based on a self-assessment that reveals the individual's level of competence. The 5-level model by Dreyfus & Dreyfus (1980) and the vocational education adaptation by Rauner (2002) were used for scaling. In order to create SJTs that are consistent across the four dimensions, the competence dimensions were implemented based on the OdASanté framework curriculum (2021). The final competences described therein were defined as endpoints (highest level). Fifteen case vignettes were developed for each survey date, which were validated by experts prior to technical implementation and pre-tested with 30 students. The tests were used for the first time as part of a pilot study at Inselspital Bern and were completed by over 100 students upon admission and discharge.
Result
The pilot study showed that assessing skills based on SJTs is feasible in practice and reveals effective learning progress. Between the start and end of the internship, scores consistently increased across all skill dimensions. A significant increase was particularly evident in lower semesters, while higher semesters tended to show consolidation at a higher level. The vignette logic is accepted by practitioners and students. The assessment at the start of the internship also served as a basis for more individually tailored training; vocational trainers, practical trainers, and students use the results for reflection, discussion, and development during the internship. The assessments were integrated into company processes to enable sustainable implementation. Thus, they reflect the training services provided by the practical training institution. It enables the optimization of clinical training by allowing better consideration of the individual competency development of students. The project thus contributes to increasing the attractiveness and improving the quality of training.
Looking ahead
The system developed here is to be expanded in the next steps. In principle, more case vignettes are to be developed. The aim is to involve other institutions in the development as part of the Swiss nursing initiative such that vignettes are also available for other settings (e.g., long-term care, psychiatry).
