About this Issue: July/August 2018
Evaluation of student performance in clinical practice remains a challenge. It is often difficult to collect sufficient data on each student in a clinical group to rate their performance. Seldomridge and Walsh examined the presence of grade inflation in clinical courses 9 years after implementing strategies to improve grading precision. The results showed statistically lower grades after the interventions, suggesting some reduction in grade inflation but not to the extent anticipated. The authors provide practical suggestions for changing the way clinical experiences are planned and evaluated. Have you tried using examination wrappers? If not, be sure to read the article by Butzlaff et al. The authors used wrappers after each exam to help students reflect on their test performance. Using examination wrappers encouraged students to self-evaluate and adjust their study strategies. School counselors can influence career development among middle and high school students interested in nursing. Williams and Dickstein-Fischer examined 204 school counselors' perceptions about nursing and the types of secondary educational preparation that students needed for a career in nursing. Another article presents an educational model to increase the number and diversity of RN-BSN graduates in a rural community. If this is a goal in your school, don't miss reading this article. Prisons provide an ideal learning experience to prepare prelicensure nursing students. Bouchaud et al share results from a retrospective analysis of the perceptions and experiences of nursing students during their community clinical rotation in an all-male maximum security prison. You will enjoy reading that article and the other articles in this issue of the journal.
Marilyn H. Oermann, Editor-in-Chief
