Engineering, 2013, 5, 338-340
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/eng.2013.510B068 Published Online Octob er 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/eng)
Application of Criterion-Meeting Assessment Met h od in
Fundamentals of Nursing
Xueyan Chen, Jihong Wang*, Wenjuan Li
Nursing College, Beihua University Jilin City
Received June 2013
ABSTRACT
To investigate the results of criterion-meeting assessment method used for the operation test in fundamentals of nursing,
101 nursing undergraduates who entered Nursing College, Beihua Univercity in 2007, were randomly divided into ex-
perimental group and control group. The students in the control group were examined with the traditional assessment
met hod, namely, the points were given the students one-time and estimated in a way of quantitative analysis. The stu-
dents in the experimental group were examined with criterion-meeting assessment methods. The average score of stu-
dents in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.001), the difference was statistically
significant, and 100% students in the experimental group got 90 - 100 points of the assessment standards. Our studies
suggest that the method is not only conducive to fully mobilizing the enthusiasm of the students and studen ts’ estab-
lishing critical thinking, but also gives help to i mprove the overall quality of teachers. It can strengthen the experimental
teaching, improve teachers’ and students’ senses of responsibility in teaching and learning and contribute to the good
teaching result.
Keywords: Criterion-Meetin g Assessment Method; Nursing
1. Introduction
Fundamentals of Nursing is an important basic course
for students majoring in nursing and provides necessary
knowle dge and skills for nursing specialties i n clinic [1].
The traditional operation test method focuses on profi-
ciency in the operation, but ignores the eval uation of the
importance of human care, the feelings of patients and
the other aspects [2]. O n the o ther ha nd, the method may
sho w a contingency caused by the environment, e motion
and live performance, and a limitatio n of a test for life
during the process of the performance evaluation, wh ich
may have a direct impact on student learning initiative.
In order to make the operation test more scientific, valid
and reliable, a crite r io n-meeting assessment method has
been implemented in our college and hereafter attached
the follows.
2. Subjects and Methods
2.1. Subjects
101 nursing undergraduates who entered Nursing Col-
lege, Beihua Univercity in 2007 were chosen as the sub-
jects. All the students were fe male. They were randomly
divided into experimental group (51) and control group
(50). There was no significant difference in a ge or gender
of students between the two groups (P > 0.05) and they
were comparable.
2.2. Methods
The assessment criterion of bas ic nursi ng skil ls edited by
our college was used in the examination. The examina-
tion performance was randoml y chosen from 15 items of
performances which were commonly used and could
show students’ comprehensive abilities by the students.
The students in t he control group were examined with the
traditional assessment method, namely, the points were
given the students one-time and estimated in a way of
quantitative analysis, the score less than 60 points was
considered as a failure, the student who was in failure
could have onl y one c hance to make up and the make-up
test result was recorded as 60 points, and he would be
asked to be restud y this course fundamentals of nurs i ng i f
a student could still not pass the make-up test. The stu-
dents in the experimental group were examined with cri-
terion-meeting assessment methods. There were three
assess me nts, namel y, the students who got 90 - 100
standard points during the first assessment were awarded
for the excellent and their final scores were 90 - 100
points. The students who got 90 - 100 standard points
*Corresponding author.

X. Y. CHEN ET AL.
339
duri ng the s eco nd assessment were awarded for the good
and their final scores were 80 - 89. The stud ents who got
90 - 100 standa r d po int s d uri n g the t hir d assessment were
awarded the pass and their final scores were 70 - 79
points. Those who could not reach the standard during
the three assessments awarded for the failure and were
required to restudy the course fundamentals of nursing.
In order to ensure the fairness of the assessment and
avoid some subjective and objective factors to affect the
results, some preparations for the assessment were im-
plemented before the test.
2.2.1. Establishing the Standar ds
Nursing specialists who were in charge of clinical teach-
ing and teachers who were responsible for the teaching of
fundamentals of nursing were asked to screen the per-
formances. 15 items of performances which were com-
monly used in clinic were prepared. The performances
were presented in a way of synthetical cases and were
required to reflect students’ thinking and performance
abilities. They jointly studied and discussed the prepara-
tion of the uniform assessme nt standards
2.2.2. Strengthening the Practice
In our college, an open system was implemented in the
laboratories of basic nur sing s kill s. The laboratories were
open to students for three hours every evening and were
managed by the students themselves. Some skilled
teachers were asked to be on duty to instruct the students
to man ag e the laboratories and finish experimental practice.
2.2.3. Ensuring the Fairness of the Test
During the assessments, the test questions were drawn
randomly by the students on the scene and the teachers
were divided into different groups (there were 3 teachers
in each group), which could be convenient to uni fy stan-
dard and ensure the fairness of the assessments. Moreo-
ver, students’ abilities of critical thinking and interper-
sonal communication skills were emphasized during the
assessments.
3. Resul ts
3.1. Comparison of Students’ Scores between the
Two Groups
Students’ scores in the experimental group were higher
than those in the control group and the difference be-
tween them was significant statistically (P < 0.001).The
comparison of students’ scores between the two groups is
showed in Tab l e 1.
3.2. Assessment Scores of Students in the
Experimental Group
Assessment scores of students in the experimental group
are showed in Table 2. The excellent rate in the experi-
mental group was 16.0%. However, 100% students in the
expe ri mental gro up go t 90 - 100 points o f the ass ess ment
standards.
4. Discussion
The function of a test should include assessment, feed-
back, forecasting and incentive. Attribution theory pro-
posed by Carol Dweck, a fam ous psychologist, considers
that the meaning of an exa mination depends on different
objectives for this exam. Those who take the score as a
goal conside r that a test o nl y a meas ur e o f their own abil-
ity, it will make it self-esteem threatened if they fail, and
then, they must show some negative emotional reactions
such as shame, anxiety and depression, even boredom or
contempt for the continued efforts, and those who take
learning as a goal think that an examination is an ap-
proach to acquire knowledge and sk ills, and develop their
ability, a failure means that their current studies should
still fail to f ini sh a nd in a se nse , it will provide an oppor-
tunity to acquire higher intelligence, and the effort for it
is taken as a way to activate their ability. Criterion-
meeting assessment method is a good interpretation of
this theory, which can not only make the results of an
exa mination a mot i ve power, but also provides a sp ir itual
support and an obje ctive o pportunity on stud e nts .
4.1. To Apply Learner-Based Teaching and
Mobilize the Learning Initiative of Students
4.1.1. Learning to Fishing Is Bet ter than Being Given
Fish
Criterion- meeting assessment method enables st udent s to
recognize the operational assessment is a learning pro-
Table 1. Comparison of students’ scores between the two
groups with two ass e ssment method (%).
Groups >90
points >80 points >70 points >60 points Mean ± s
Experimental
group (5 1) 8 36 7 0 85.67 ± 7.65
Control
group (50) 6 20 21 3 74.96 ± 6.03
P < 0.001.
Table 2. Assessment scores of students in the experimental
group(n = 51).
number percenta ge (%)
Excel lent 8 16.0
Good 36 70.0
Pass 7 14.0
Failure 0 0.0

X. Y. CHEN ET AL.
340
cess in which they can combine theory and practice,
consolidate and improve their practical skills, as well as a
training process for their qualities and abilities. Through
the assessments, they can understand that a failure to an
examination does not mean real lack of their personal
knowledge and abilities, the result is variable, controlla-
ble and positively proportional to their efforts and abili-
ties, and the failure may become an aggressive driving
force which may help them meet the assessment criteria.
Through the practice, the students also understand that
the impro ve me nt in the ba sic skil ls will be c losel y related
to their clinical internships and future employment,
which can fully mobilizes the enthusiasm of the st udents
in the practical exercise and change them from passive
learning to active learning [3].
4.1.2. To Strengthen the Feedback Function of
Examination
During the application of Criterion-meeting assessment
method, both teachers and students could timely get
feedback information, which enables both teachers and
students to recognize the deficiencies in teaching and
learning. The method requires that the teachers should
teach the students in a way c lo sely integrate d with cl inic,
namely, co mbi ning the asse ssment with specific cases. It
also requires that the teachers should prepare adequately
according to different cases and different training pro-
grams, and try to understand related comprehensive
knowledge and proficient skills before the assessment so
that they can better guide and assess the students [3],
which should be conducive to the improvement in the
overall quality of teachers.
Durin g the assessment , the st udents’ observation abili-
ties, clinical thinking skills, and communication skills
could be improved, which could promote them to pay
more attention to human care and help to improve the
overall quality of students.
Criterion-meeting assessment method also contributed
to the improvemen t o f the active mental activity for both
teachers and students in the improvement of students’
skills, and an equal a nd har monious at mospher e between
the teachers and the students could be built, which may
close teacher-student re la tions hip.
4.1.3. Problems to Be Solved
There were some problems to be solved in the applica-
tion of criterion-meeting assessment method. The teach-
ers ha d to spend more time, energy and physical exertion,
a few individual studen ts wit h fluke mind hoped t hat they
could draw a procedure which would be easy for them in
the operation, which might disturb the fairness of the
asses sment.
Our studies suggest that the implementation of crite-
rion-meeting assessment method in the operation test of
fundamentals of nursing should be regarded as a good
way to improve the overall quality of students. The me-
thod is not o nly conducive to fully mobilizing t he enthu-
siasm of the students and students’ estab lishing critical
thinking, but also gives hel p t o impr ove t he ove rall q ual-
ity of teachers. It can strengthen the experimental teach-
ing, improve teachers’ and students’ senses of responsi-
bility in tea chi ng and le arni ng and contribute to the good
teaching result.
REFERENCES
[1] X. H. Li, “Fundamentals of Nursing,” People’s Medical
Publishing House, Beijing, 2006, pp. 1-2.
[2] Z. X. Zhou, J. H. Bian, Q. Wang et a l., “Discu ssion on the
Implementation Of Practice Examination Rating Certifi-
cate in Fundamentals of Nursing,” Journal of Nurses
Training, Vol. 23, No. 7, 2008, pp. 613-614.
[3] Y. Sheng, Y. Zhao and X. Zhang, “The Practice Of Me-
thod of Learning in Groups in the Nursing Skills Teach-
ing,” Chinese Journal of Nursing, Vol. 39, No. 7, 2004,
pp. 531-53.