RESUMO
Background: Advanced practice nursing in the United States is shifting toward doctoral certification, most commonly a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. However, there is limited evidence that this transition improves clinical competence. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether modifications in a nurse anesthesia curriculum that transitioned from a Master of Nursing to a Doctor of Nursing Practice program were associated with improved cognitive performance using an oral examination. Design: A prospective, comparative observational study of students from a single, university-based nurse anesthesia program. Methods: This study was a small-scale investigation (n = 22) that used a quantitative method to compare the performances of consecutive cohorts of Master of Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice nurse anesthesia students as rated by oral examinations designed to evaluate critical thinking skills and previously shown to demonstrate internal consistency and reliability. Results: After completing an expanded curriculum, Doctor of Nursing Practice nurse anesthesia students performed significantly better than Master of Nursing students on oral examination, with improvements in cognitive domains previously identified as areas of underperformance by Master of Nursing students. Conclusion: Targeted curricular additions in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program correlated with improvements in nurse anesthesia student cognitive competence as measured by oral examination.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Despite its widespread use in anesthesia residency training, mock oral board examinations (MOBEs) are not included in the pedagogy of most nurse anesthesia programs (NAPs). A small-scale study was conducted to assess the use of MOBEs in this setting. METHOD: The investigational cohort consisted of 10 second-year students in a master's program in nurse anesthesia. MOBEs were scored according to a common rubric, and final scores were reconciled by raters. Responses from pretest and posttest questionnaires, as well as scoring data, were analyzed. RESULTS: MOBEs were administered in a problem-free manner to nurse anesthesia students and was perceived by these students as a valuable addition to their curriculum. There was pass-fail agreement among the raters related to clinical analysis, fund of knowledge, and communication skills, and the scoring was characterized by elements of internal consistency. CONCLUSION: MOBEs are feasible in an NAP, and well accepted by students. MOBEs have significant evaluative potential in this setting. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(4):229-234.].