Competency-Based Education Solutions for Nursing

Healthcare demands a special mix of deep critical thinking alongside practical hands-on tasks. Developing key psychomotor skills early on in a learner’s journey toward mastery helps them smoothly apply those skills later without stress or distraction in tougher scenarios. Evaluating these skills early with effective and at times automatic methods ensures their progress.

Formative assessments matter

At this point, learners start to grasp the fundamentals of decision-making models and care pathways. They begin to engage in critical thinking and realize that both success and failure are possible outcomes. Learners who struggle with summative exams often haven't encountered formative or ongoing course assessments. Select a simulation tool that helps you evaluate what your learners need to excel in the next phase of their skill development.

Assessing advanced level performance​

Learners experiencing the benefits of assessments at this level should already be used to formative assessments and to the process of coaching and guided self-reflection. What you need to assess in this area is what you will need to train to. You may be performing summative assessments like Observed Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs) or you may still be performing formative assessments. In either case, Laerdal offers simulators and digital solutions that can test advanced level decision making in teams during acute emergent situations.

Bringing it all together in a real-world environment

There comes a point in a learner's progression where you will want to introduce your learners to a situationally realistic environment—an environment that challenges and develops their abilities to perform in authentic circumstances. Assessments at this level deserve to be captured and tracked digitally for consistency, efficiency, and transparency. Where simulators are used, we recommend the highest fidelity possible.​