1 September 16, 2013 Robert McKinney, Director Office of Academic Planning and Faculty Development Dear Mr. McKinney, Please consider the attached Faculty Development Grant proposal to fund the Critical Thinking and Test Item Writing workshop for new and continuing faculty. Since I am submitting the proposal, I have included a letter of support from Dean Poirrier. Please feel free to contact me if any additional information is needed. Sincerely, Lisa, RN, DNS, CNE Acadian Ambulance Endowed Professor in Nursing Dr. Donald B. Williams/BORSF Professorship in Nursing Department Head and Associate to the Dean University of Louisiana at Lafayette College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions
2 Faculty Development Grant Critical Thinking and Test Item Writing Workshop for Nurse Educators Submitted by: Dr. Lisa, Department Head for Nursing College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions Fall 2013
3 Abstract The Department of Nursing consistently ranks among the top nursing programs in the U.S. in pass rates on the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. Graduate students enrolled in the family nurse practitioner program also consistently demonstrate pass rates above the departmental benchmarks and national averages on their certification exam. Preparation of students is linked to both classroom and clinical experiences, with a major emphasis on performance on both instructor-made and national standardized exams. In order to continue this pattern of success, it is vital that faculty receive initial and continuing education on item writing and test construction. Over the past ten years, the majority of new faculty who have joined the department have been prepared at the master s level as nurse practitioners, with no formal background in nursing education. In order to ensure that undergraduate and graduate nursing faculty have the knowledge, skills, and ability to develop rigorous exams and to be able to evaluate student performance on these exams, a nationally recognized speaker will present a one-day workshop on item writing and test construction. This will provide new and continuing faculty with the most up-to-date information on testing of students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
4 Project Description The purpose of the project is to provide nursing faculty with knowledge, skills and ability to develop rigorous exams based on sound testing and measurement principles. At the end of this one-day workshop, faculty will have an understanding of techniques for writing test questions which stimulate critical thinking, as well as evaluation methods related to exam reliability and validity. Statement of Need The Department of Nursing has a long history of exceptional performance on licensure exams for undergraduate students and certification exams for those completing the nurse practitioner program. Students at both levels engage in a wide array of clinical experiences and receive didactic content in a face-to-face environment at the undergraduate level and online for graduate students. Evaluation of student performance in the didactic portion of nursing courses is achieved primarily by instructorconstructed exams. End-of-course and end-of-program national standardized exams are administered to students, but successful completion of the program must be demonstrated by a passing course grade on instructor-constructed exams. Therefore, it is vital that all nursing faculty are proficient in developing high quality test questions, and have the ability to analyze student performance on individual test questions as well as the exam as a whole. Over the past 10 years, the Department of Nursing has experienced tremendous growth. While enrollment in the traditional BSN program remains high, the launch of the accelerated, online RN to BSN program in 2012 has resulted in an exponential increase in undergraduate student numbers. Enrollment in the nurse practitioner program is increasing each semester as the demand for advanced practice nurses continues to grow. Additionally, the first cohort of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program began in Fall 2012, with the Department now offering degrees at the bachelor s, master s, and doctoral levels. This rapid growth has resulted in an increase in the number of faculty needed to meet the needs of so many students. Recruiting efforts for new faculty have resulted in hiring practices which mirror those of new
5 faculty across the U.S.; those entering into higher education who are prepared at either the master s or doctoral level have received their post-baccalaureate education as advanced practice nurses rather than nurse educators. Consequently, they have little or no background in evaluation of student learning, including principles of testing and measurement. In the past, university funds were available to send new faculty to national conferences related to test construction. With budget cuts that have been imposed on all departments, there are no longer resources available to send new faculty to costly conferences. In order to continue to achieve the exceptional outcomes that have come to be expected of graduates of the nursing program, it is imperative that faculty receive professional development related to testing theories and principles. Rather than incur heavy costs that are no longer sustainable to send faculty to national workshops, funds are being requested to have a nationally known speaker come to campus to provide an interactive, one-day workshop with nursing faculty. Academic Consulting Group is a service of Elsevier, Inc. that provides workshops to nursing programs on a wide range of relevant topics. At the beginning of the Spring 2014 semester, Dr. Susan Sportsman, Director of this consulting group, will provide a one-day workshop for all nursing faculty titled Critical Thinking and Test Item Writing. Dr. Sportsman has a long history of excellence in nursing education, and was recently selected as a Fellow in the National League for Nursing Academy of Nurse Educators. The workshop will enable nursing faculty to improve their test item writing skills, considering five guidelines for developing critical thinking test items and using a scientific method for evaluating the effectiveness of test items. Faculty will practice revising test questions with the goal of increasing students critical thinking. Plan and Timetable On February 6, 2014, Dr. Susan Sportsman will present a workshop titled Item Writing and Test Construction for Nurse Educators. The Louisiana State Board of Nursing requires that all registered
6 nurses receive continuing education credits each year for renewal. At the end of this workshop, faculty will receive 4.3 continuing education credits. Budget Expense Departmental Contribution Grant Funding Academic Consulting Group Fees Speaker Honorarium (includes cost of continuing education credits) $3000 Travel Expenses $1000 Workshop Costs Printing and Duplication $500 Total $500 $4000
7 1902 Kilkenny St, New Iberia, LA 70563 lab4456@louisiana.edu Lisa Education 2000 2006 LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA Doctorate of Nursing Science 1989 1991 LSU Medical Center New Orleans, LA MN, Master s in Nursing 1981 1985 University of Southwestern LA Lafayette, LA BSN, Bachelor of Science in Nursing July, 2011- Current University of Louisiana at Lafayette Laf, LA Department Head and Associate to the Dean, Department of Nursing Responsible for overseeing all activities related to Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Programs 2007-present Assistant Professor University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA Semester Coordinator, Community and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Master Teacher, Pediatric Nursing Chair, Program Evaluation Committee School Health Consultant, Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning Professional Affiliations Louisiana Statewide Simulation Faculty Development Program, 2013- Workshop Facilitator Louisiana State Nurses Association, District IV, member American Nurses Association, member Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Eta Chapter, President, 2012-2014 Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Eta Chapter, Vice President, 2007-2011 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Member
8 National Association of School Nurses, member Louisiana School Nurse Organization, member Southern Nursing Research Society, member Southern Obesity Summit Planning Committee Member, 2011 Louisiana Council of Administrators of Nursing Education, Member, 2011-present Awards/ Certifications ULearn Certified Online Teacher, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Office of Distance Learning, August 2012 Poster Presentation, First Place Award for Clinical Practice, Conducting Root Cause Analysis with Nursing Students During Simulation, June 21, 2012, 11 th Annual Nursing Simulation Conference, San Antonio, TX Grants Reviewer, Improving Patient Safety Through Simulation Research (R18)- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Fall 2010 Grants Aucoin, J.,, L., Oberleitner, M., Smith, E., & Hebert, J. (2011). Nursing Absenteeism? A Socially Influenced Phenomenon? Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Eta Chapter, Research Grant, $350 Bellar, D., Bryan, C.,, L., Duncan, C., & Landry, J. (2011) Early Childhood Fitness and Body Mass Index Norms: Identifying Usable Standards. NIH R21, Amount: $250,000 Approval Denied, L. (2011). Enhancement and Upgrade of Virtual IV Simulation Trainer, UL Lafayette Student Government Association Student Technology Enhancement Program, $195,135.47 Approval Denied, L. & Hurst, H. (2010). Student Anxiety in Maternal Child Simulation. Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Eta Chapter, Research Grant, $500.
9 Publications Bryan, C.,, L., & Bellar, D. (2013). Effective partnerships: How school nurses and physical education teachers can combat childhood obesity, School Nurse, 28, 20-23. Bellar, D., Bryan, C., &, L. (2012). Relationship of parental efficacy and effects of a pilot youth weight management program on health and fitness of overweight and obese children. Acta Kensiologica 6, 13-18. Boudreaux, S., &, L. (2012). Sudden cardiac arrest in schools: The role of the school nurse in AED program implementation. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 35, 143-152., L., & Boudreaux. S. (2012). Translating acute care skills to the school setting. School Nurse, 27, 209-210., L., Bryan, C., & Bellar, D. (2012). Kids on the Geaux: An interdisciplinary, community-based child weight management program. School Nurse, 27, 72-75. Ardoin, K., &, L. (2011). Implementing handoff communication. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 29(3)., L., Howat, H., Stokes, B., & Street, T. (2011). Influencing school health policy: The role of the State School Nurse Consultant. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 34, 108-118., L., Howat, H., & Stokes, B. (2010). Facilitating coordinated school health: School nurse educators role in interdisciplinary collaboration. NASN School Nurse, 25, 295-297., L. (2010). Small size, big risk: Preventing neonatal and pediatric medication errors. Nursing for Women s Health, 14(5). Guilbeau, J. &, L. (2010). Management considerations of Community Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Nursing for Women s Health, 14(7)., L. & Myers, R. (2010). School nurse resilience: Experiences after multiple natural disasters. Journal of School Nursing, 26, 203-11.
10 Presentations Poster Presentation: Conducting Root Cause Analysis with Nursing Students During Simulation, April 26, 2013. Louisiana State Nurses Association Link to the Legislature, Baton Rouge, LA Podium Presentation: Scaling and Sustaining an Online, Accelerated RN to BSN Program: Perils, Pitfalls, and Promises, April 12, 2013. American Association of Colleges of Nursing Hot Issues Conference, St. Louis, MO Poster Presentation: Conducting Root Cause Analysis with Nursing Students During Simulation, November 15, 2012. American Association of Colleges of Nursing Annual BSN Conference, San Antonio, TX Podium Presentation: Lifesavers: School Nurse Implementation of Automated Defibrillator Programs, November 2, 2012. 2012 Louisiana Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Convention (LAHPERD), Baton Rouge, LA. Podium Presentation: Conducting Root Cause Analysis with Undergraduate Nursing Students during Simulation, August 10, 2012, Translating Research into Practice Research Conference, Baton Rouge, LA. Paper Presentation: Bellar, D. M., Bryan, C. L.,, L., Howat, H. K. (2012). Body Mass Index and Parental Efficacy for Children's Exercise within a Youth Weight Management Program. Paper accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, San Francisco, CA. Poster Presentation: Lifesavers: School Nurse Implementation of Automated Defibrillator Programs, June 26, 2012, National Association of School Nurses Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, Poster Presentation: Conducting Root Cause Analysis with Nursing Students During Simulation, June 21, 2012, 11 th Annual Nursing Simulation Conference, San Antonio, TX, Podium Presentation: Lifesavers: School Nurse Implementation of Automated Defibrillator Programs, April 12, 2012, Louisiana School Nurse Organization Professional Development Meeting, Natchitoches, LA. Podium Presentation: The Use of University Partnerships to Improve Student Health October 3, 2011, Southern Obesity Summit, New Orleans, LA