DICKISON ANSWERS 9 BURNING QUESTIONS ON NEXT GENERATION NCLEX [INFOGRAPHIC]
Nov 4, 2019, 11:39 AM
<2.5-min. read time> The NCSBN’s Phil Dickison, PhD, RN, says the Next Generation NCLEX will position nurses for success in a changing healthcare system. But he knows many educators are concerned about the change.
THE NEXT GENERATION NCLEX: THESE QUESTIONS GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED
In a recent interview with Sheryl Sommer, PhD, RN, CNE, Dr. Dickison discussed the issue and his organization's recent decision to move forward with the new exam. (It is expected to launch sometime after 2023.)Stay up-to-date on the Next Generation NCLEX.
Here, we’ve summarized his answers to 9 key questions educators are asking about the new test.
1. What does a new NCLEX mean for educators?
You don’t need to change how you teach. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is not presenting you with a mental model on how to think. Instead, its new test will measure the way students think, regardless of the mental model by which they were taught.2. How did NCSBN decide the launch date of Next Gen NCLEX?
- A lot of new item types that work on computer-adaptive texts must be built.
- New technology is needed to deliver vignettes or case studies versus individual items. Thus, NCSBN determined it needed several years to develop the NGN and subject it to rigors for which the NCLEX is known. That means the new test won’t launch before 2023.
3. Will NCSBN offer a Special Research Section to the NCLEX-PN?
Yes. A Special Research Section should appear on the NCLEX-PN in 8-12 months.4. How many new test items will be on the Next Gen NCLEX?
The number of items depends on the length of each student’s exam, but it will likely be between 2 and 5 vignettes (case studies), each of which will measure all 6 components of the clinical judgment measurement model. That means the new test will include between 12 and 30 NGN-style items. It will still be a computer adaptive test and include many of the same item types that exist today.5. How will it be graded?
The NGN will use a scoring model similar to partial-credit scoring with levels of rightness and wrongness that depict candidates’ abilities.6. What should nurse educators focus on to prepare students?
Start to incorporate iteration into students’ learning. For example, during an assessment, add new information as the student is attempting to diagnose or plan. Force students to re-evaluate diagnoses and plans throughout the process rather than waiting until the end to learn whether their original idea worked.7. What should educators tell students about the NGN?
- Don’t create fear. The new test is not designed to trick them or measure whether they’re a master nurse of 20 years.
- Explain that the Next Generation NCLEX will produce more fidelity on how they will actually practice as nurses versus simply measuring memory-based, stand-alone knowledge assessed with multiple-choice answers.
8. What upcoming goals does NCSBN have to help educators prepare for the Next Gen?
- Creating a relationship with stakeholders, such as ATI and other large publishers, to create tools to help both educators and students engage in their personal roles in learning and educating.
- Developing a communication campaign, from speaking at events to offering item-writing seminars that include NGN, to a webinar series with regulators, and more.
9. What activities would help students develop stronger clinical judgment skills?
Students need more experience with real real-life scenarios/case studies. They needfeedback on where they make mistakes even if they ultimately reach the correct decision.
To read the full, in-depth interview of Dr. Dickison, visit, "Prepare for NGN with these crucial insights from NCSBN."
