Optimized Article: Enhancing Nursing Education with Clinical Judgment Exams (CJE) Build-Your-Own Question Bank

Preparing Students for the Next Generation NCLEX® with CJE

The landscape of healthcare is rapidly evolving, demanding that nurses not only adapt to new technologies but also excel in clinical judgment to ensure the highest standards of patient care. As nursing education shifts to meet these demands, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has redefined the NCLEX® exam to emphasize clinical judgment, culminating in the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) set to launch in April 2023. This shift underscores the importance of preparing students with rigorous, clinically focused assessments.

What is Clinical Judgment in Nursing?

Clinical judgment in nursing is defined by the NCSBN as “an iterative process that uses nursing knowledge to observe and assess presenting situations, identify a prioritized client concern and generate the best possible evidence-based solutions in order to deliver safe client care.” In response to the critical need for enhanced clinical judgment among new nurses, the NCSBN has redesigned the NCLEX to more effectively assess these skills.

Introducing Clinical Judgment Exams (CJE)

In collaboration with NurseThink®, ExamSoft has developed the Clinical Judgment Exams (CJE) platform to align with the upcoming NGN. This innovative tool provides pre-written, high-quality assessments that are specifically designed to improve nursing education and better prepare students for both the NGN and their clinical practice.

A standout feature of CJE is the Build-Your-Own Question Bank. This tool empowers nurse educators to construct both formative and summative assessments using a curated selection of questions authored by nursing education experts and seasoned clinicians. Educators can either integrate these questions into their existing assessments or create entirely new exams, tailored to the NGN’s rigorous standards.

How Educators Leverage the CJE Build-Your-Own Question Bank

Nurse educators are increasingly using the CJE Build-Your-Own Question Bank to craft assessments that reflect real-world clinical challenges. These assessments are deployed in both formative and summative formats, offering students continuous opportunities to hone their clinical judgment skills.

Formative assessments, such as “muddy points” quizzes, are ungraded and often administered in team settings. These quizzes are valuable for gauging student comprehension at the beginning of a class, allowing instructors to adjust their teaching focus based on real-time feedback. Similarly, quizzes administered at the end of a class help educators identify areas that may require further clarification.

Summative assessments, administered at the conclusion of a unit or semester, provide a comprehensive review of the content and skills covered. These exams are crucial in familiarizing students with the NGN’s digital testing environment and its emphasis on clinical judgment.

The Impact of CJE on Nursing Education

The transition to the NGN has presented nurse educators with the challenge of developing new, clinically focused exam questions. The CJE Build-Your-Own Question Bank, powered by ExamSoft, addresses this challenge by offering access to expertly crafted questions stored securely within the ExamSoft platform. This not only reduces the time educators spend creating exams but also enhances the quality and relevance of the assessments.

With the platform’s auto-grading feature, exam results are available almost immediately, providing educators with actionable data on both individual student performance and broader class trends. This immediate feedback is essential for identifying areas that require additional focus and for tailoring instruction to improve student outcomes.

Real-World Application: CJE at The University of Toledo

The University of Toledo’s College of Nursing has successfully integrated ExamSoft and CJE into their curriculum, resulting in a more strategic approach to NCLEX readiness. According to Dr. Holly Myers, an instructor in the GEM program, the college is “ahead of the game on the NCLEX Next Gen because we have ExamSoft.” This endorsement highlights the tangible benefits of using CJE to prepare students for the NGN.

Supporting New Nurse Educators with CJE

For nurses transitioning from clinical practice to academia, the role of an educator can be daunting. The lack of formal training in pedagogy and the complexities of writing valid, reliable exam items can be particularly challenging. CJE’s Build-Your-Own Question Bank serves as a valuable resource for new educators, offering a repository of questions that are aligned with the NGN and focused on clinical judgment.

Unlike older exam items, which may not reflect the NGN’s emphasis on clinical judgment or may be readily available to students online, CJE’s questions are rigorously developed and continuously updated by experts in the field. This ensures that assessments are both current and secure, maintaining academic integrity.

CJE Build-Your-Own Question Bank: A Comprehensive Tool for Nursing Education

CJE’s Build-Your-Own Question Bank encompasses up to 15 focus areas, including a dedicated NGN Readiness exam. Nurse educators can customize these questions to supplement their own materials or create entirely new exams that meet the specific needs of their students. The focus on clinical judgment throughout these assessments is designed to prepare both novice and experienced educators for the NGN.

Exam integrity is maintained through ExamSoft’s secure digital platform, which restricts access to external programs, screensavers, and web browsers during exams. This ensures that test items remain secure and that the assessments reflect the students’ true capabilities.

Conclusion: Elevating Nursing Education with CJE

The CJE Build-Your-Own Question Bank, developed in partnership with NurseThink® and ExamSoft, represents a significant advancement in nursing education. By providing educators with the tools to create clinically focused, NGN-aligned assessments, CJE is not only improving NCLEX pass rates but also enhancing the overall quality of nursing education. The actionable data insights provided by ExamSoft further empower educators to refine their teaching strategies, ultimately leading to better-prepared nurses and improved patient care.