Successful strategies for improving outcomes through quality assessment and evaluation of programs

1. Successful strategies for improving outcomes through quality assessment and evaluation of programs Leadership Conference Winston Salem, NC June 2013

2. Objectives • Outline strategies for improving outcomes • Provide an overview of quality assessment in the evaluation of nursing education programs • Identify steps to ensure program excellence

3. Strategy • Carefully devise plan of action • to achieve a goal • Carry out your plan • How do we strategize to develop program quality?

4. Questions to be asked • Where do we want to go? • What is the end product? • What needs to be done to achieve the outcome desired? • What steps are needed to get the ideal results • How will faculty be involved? • Who do we need on board to achieve desired results?

5. Accreditation • CCNE • Baccalaureate • Masters • Doctoral • Post • NLNAC • All programs

6. Accreditation • Encourage academic excellence • Influence educators to challenge themselves • Provide for programs to thrive through an atmosphere of excellence • Enable faculty to raise the bar of academic standards

7. Accreditation…cont’d 5. Enable faculty to better understand their academic role: • Teaching • Communicating (students/colleagues) • Using information resources • Understanding professional practice • Functioning as a change agent • Engaging in scholarly activities • Professional memberships • Research • Publishing • Presentations • Networking

8. Strategies for improving outcomes 1. Quality faculty • Hire • experienced faculty • faculty that fit • Grow your own • Mentor early on • role of chair • role of more senior faculty • Socialize junior faculty into their role

9. Strategies for improving outcomes…cont’d • 2. Describe • Student • academic skill levels • learning outcomes • Graduate competencies

10. Strategies for improving outcomes…cont’d • 3. Develop a rapport with community • get to know your community • support will come to you from the community • faculty come from the community • students come from the community • committee/board members come from the community

11. Strategies for improving outcomes…cont’d • 4. Assess clinical environment • Administration • Staff • Policies toward education • Education vs. work oriented

12. Strategies for improving outcomes…cont’d • 5. Design pattern/blueprint for ongoing assessment of curriculum • periodically revisit assessment tool • look at curriculum on a pre-determined schedule • examine statistics

13. Strategies for improving outcomes…cont’d • 6. Discern the direction in which profession is going • keep up • attend various professional conferences • in-state • out of state • prioritize allocation of resources • read professional literature

14. Strategies for improving outcomes…cont’d • 7. Ensure competent leadership • credentialed & experienced • able to guide/improve faculty in creation of positive climate, including performance, satisfaction & motivation (passive/hostile climate) • encourage fair & equitable treatment

15. Strategies for improving outcomes…cont’d • College culture

16. Assessment/ Plan of Evaluation • Systematic • Mission & administration • mission • philosophy • outcomes • Faculty & staff • 25% must be doctorally prepared

17. Assessment/ Plan of Evaluation…cont’d • Provide faculty with accreditation standards • Ensure faculty know & understand each standard • Identify steps to ensure program excellence • Plan of evaluation • expected outcomes are specific • expected outcomes are measurable • Levels of achievement • appropriate assessment methods • a minimum of three (3) years of data for each component within evaluation plan

18. Successful strategies for improving outcomes through quality assessment & evaluation of programs • NLNAC • CCNE • Successful identification/implementation of evaluation plan • Working faculty