WHAT IS NEXT GENERATION NCLEX?

A project in which the National Council of the State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is assessing new item types to better measure a candidate’s clinical judgment ability.

Watch NCSBN’s video: “An Overview”

 

WHY DOES NCSBN THINK WE NEED A NEW VERSION OF NCLEX?

Research has proven that entry-level nurses require clinical judgment to perform many tasks. In NCSBN’s recent RN Task Analysis, in fact, clinical judgment was linked directly to more than 46% of tasks performed by entry-level nurses. With clinical judgment skills, nurses can prevent a substantial number of adverse events that clients endure.

Watch NCSBN’s video: “A look at the strategic practice analysis & special research section”

 

HOW DOES NCSBN DEFINE CLINICAL JUDGMENT?

It’s the observed outcome of critical thinking and decision-making — an iterative process that uses nursing knowledge to observe and access presenting situations, identify a prioritized client concern, and generate the best possible, evidence-based solutions to deliver safe client care.

Watch NCSBN’s video: “Clinical Judgment Model”

 

WHAT IS THE SPECIAL RESEARCH SECTION OF THE NCLEX?

It’s a set of extra questions at the end of the NCLEX-RN. (Soon, NCSBN will add a Special Research Section to the NCLEX-PN.) Candidates taking the NCLEX-RN are invited to participate in the Special Research Section. Their answers provide data to NCSBN for use in testing and analyzing new item types that evaluate the candidate’s clinical judgment skills.

Watch NCSBN’s video: “A look at the strategic practice analysis & special research section”

 

WHEN WILL THE NEXT GENERATION NCLEX LAUNCH?

Not until 2023 at the earliest.

 

WHAT ITEM TYPES WOULD A NEXT GENERATION NCLEX INCLUDE?

NCSBN has identified 5 specific item types as viable measures of clinical judgment: multiple selection, highlight, cloze, drag and drop, and matrix.

Watch NCSBN’s video: “Item development”

 

WILL SCORING CHANGE FOR NEW ITEM TYPES?

Yes. NCSBN is exploring multiple scoring methods. It prefers a polytomous scoring method that allows candidates to receive full credit, partial credit, or no credit based on the responses selected. Polytomous scoring is similar to partial-credit scoring with levels of rightness and wrongness that depict different candidate abilities.

Watch NCSBN’s video: “Test validity”

 

HOW CAN WE START PREPARING FOR IT NOW?

You can get a jump on helping students develop clinical judgment skills in three primary ways:

Use active-learning strategies. Clinical judgment is best learned experientially, and the use of a variety of active-learning strategies will promote the necessary deep-thinking skills required. Incorporate case studies, video scenarios, and simulation to help students better grasp the concepts being addressed, particularly when they have not had similar experiences in clinical.

Thoroughly assess all assignments. Make sure any assignment you give students is relevant and challenging yet realistic for the level of your learners. Your goal should be to increase their curiosity and motivation, so they thoughtfully complete the work.

Question using the Socratic method. This technique is recognized for promoting deep thinking. Require students to examine collected data, compare and contrast findings, provide rationales for their responses, and explain interrelationships. 

 

WHAT IS ATI DOING TO HELP?

For years, ATI has focused on improving students’ clinical judgment skills, evaluating new item types, exploring scoring methods, and developing new items. Current solutions range from NurseLogic, introduced about 10 years ago, to RealLife, Nurse’s Touch, and — most recently — HealthAssess and The NCLEX Experience (available in the ATI Student Portal).

 

HOW SOON WILL ATI RELEASE ASSESSMENTS THAT INCLUDE NEW ITEM TYPES?

Sample items are available now, for RN programs, as part of The NCLEX Experience on the ATI platform. A timeline for releasing additional assessments with new item types will be determined after NCSBN announces its decision about a Next Generation NCLEX.