Clinical Evaluation in Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Programs: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Aim: The aim of the study was to understand and describe how clinical nurse educators evaluate prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students in clinical practicums.

Background: Clinical evaluation is used to determine nursing students' competency. There is no consensus about how competency is defined, which may lead to inconsistent clinical evaluation of students.

Method: Clinical nurse educators who evaluate baccalaureate nursing students in clinical practicums participated in semistructured interviews via a web-conferencing platform.

Results: Three categories emerged from the data: decision-making about practicum grades, making final determinations of clinical competency, and clinical nurse educator training in the clinical evaluation process. Five subcategories emerged: determinants in process, relevance of time, issues with practices, deeming students competent, and relevance of course structure.

Conclusion: Implications for nursing education are offered related to the need for standardization in clinical evaluation.