Module Components

• Overview
• Assignments

Topics

• Assessing Learning Outcomes
• Testing
• Competency Assessment
• Learning Contracts
• Portfolios
• Conclusion

Nurs 791 - Instructional Strategies and Assessment

Module 8: Assessing Learning

Competency Assessment

What is competency? This word typically refers to some level of knowledge or ability that is compared to a pre-set standard to confirm that one is competent. Competency may be viewed differentially as variable level of a standard, depending on the purpose, institution, or organization. A competency can be a skill, behavior, attitude, or knowledge that is reflected in a specified indicator(s).There are many strategies used to assess competency in our society. Here are some examples.

The importance of competencies in health professions education cannot be overestimated. A recent publication from the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation overviews a meeting in which many experts have concluded that competency-based education may be a very important component of preparing students in health professions for the evolving changes in our health care system.

There are competencies with varying foci as well as span. In nursing education, there are Nurse Educator Competencies from the World Health Organization. In the United States, the National League for Nursing has developed Core Competencies for Nurse Educators that serve as the organizing framework for the Nurse Educator Certification Examination.

Within nursing practice, competencies in nursing become much more narrow and specific. Such competencies are often developed by various nursing specialty organizations. For example, the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses offers a model that presents aspects of rehabilitation nursing.

The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, developed a set of quality and safety competencies for nursing students at various levels as well as clinicians. These competencies are first defined within an area (e.g. Patient-centered care) and then organized by knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

A number of organizations such as the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health employ competency assessments across all levels of personnel. Another example of an organizational approach is that of the Public Health Foundation in their conceptualization of core competencies for public health professionals.

Competency assessment can be done as a single shot to demonstrate a particular competency – for example, computer literacy before taking an online course. Others are on-going to assure the performance level of their members such as the program of the American College of Nurse Midwives.

These examples demonstrate many ways of assessing competencies – tests, papers, portfolios, behavior and skill performance are among the most common. Key factors are that the competencies to be assessed must be clearly articulated so that appropriate indicators are used, a standard or levels of “competence” is set a priori, and the respective competence is measured appropriately.