Objective: To analyze the process of a nursing clinical skills assessment in a hospital in China, design the scoring system of the nursing clinical skills(SSNCK), and discuss its clinical application effects.
Methods: To analyze the flow of the current practical skills assessment with an operation process analysis chart to identify potential improvement priorities. This was accomplished by developing the SSNCK with Microsoft Visual Basic. A total of 100 nurses were selected. They were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group completed the SSNCK, while the other completed a paper-based assessment. The differences between the two groups in terms of testing time and costs were compared.
Results: The SSNCK simplified the process of nursing clinical skills assessment and efficiently allocated human, material, and financial resources. The time required to complete the SSNCK was less than that for the paper-based assessment (t=12.99, P<0.01), and the overall cost was lower than that for the other assessment (t=13.56, P<0.01).
Conclusion: The application of the SSNCK improves the efficiency of a nursing practical assessment. It also reduces testing costs and further develops hospital nursing education.
Keywords: Assessment; Nursing Practical Skills; Terminal User Development Model.