Relationships between Performance Assessment Scores and Student Skills in a Training Class for Basic Nursing Techniques

Abstract

This study’s objective was to determine how students’ performance assessment scores in a training class for basic nursing techniques related to their skills in three domains: social, critical thinking, and supportive communication. First-year students (n=114) at a university nursing school were graded using the performance assessment and in terms of the three skills listed above. Students were divided into high- and low-scoring groups based on their assessments, and correlations between differences in average skill scores and across all variables were explored. The difference in each skill score was significantly higher in the high group in social skills and supportive communication skills (p<.05). There was no significant difference in critical thinking attitudes. In addition, performance assessment score showed a weak positive correlation with social skills and support communication skills (p<.05). The results suggest that nursing students who receive high scores on performance assessments also have good mastery of social and supportive communication skills.