Coordinator's Corner: Utilizing Clinical Evaluations to Improve Experiences and Measure Success

Effective feedback collection is crucial for continuous improvement in educational institutions. It’s especially important in the clinical education process so that educators can share insights and recommendations to make the learning experience even better. At Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON), Preceptorship Placement Coordinator Kris Morrell, BSN, RN, and Clinical Placement Coordinator Abby Bell, BSN, RNC-OB, have implemented innovative practices to enhance their evaluation process and improve response rates.

“When I began working at AUCON in 2021, we were using a different platform that listed all clinical sites and instructors. The students had to scroll through all options and select their site and instructor to evaluate. Our response rate was less than 5%. Utilizing the evaluation feature in ACEMAPP, we have been able to significantly increase our response rate,” shared Bell.

ACEMAPP allows members to create and distribute surveys and evaluations tailored to their needs. Schools and clinical sites can customize questions and the frequency of distribution so that data can be collected before, during, and/or after a clinical experience regardless of member type (i.e., student, faculty, preceptor, observer, etc.). The streamlined process makes it easier for students to provide feedback and coordinators to compile findings, leading to more comprehensive and actionable data.

The clinical evaluations at AUCON use the same scale that is used across the University for other student experiences, such as course evaluations. Once evaluations are completed, they are meticulously organized and shared with the relevant parties by the Auburn team.

Even if a faculty member has access to ACEMAPP, they do not have access to evaluation results. This helps the Auburn team distribute feedback only to those who need it, ensuring that results remain confidential.

“Once we’ve reviewed the results, we distribute feedback to the Faculty Course Leader, who can then share information with the appropriate clinical instructors and sites,” said Morrell. This systematic approach ensures that feedback reaches those who can act on it, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Bell emphasizes the importance of streamlining this process. “Having it on the same platform that you do for credentialing helps a lot. It has been helpful that the students are only sent the evaluations for their rotations and clinical instructors, so they don’t have to search through a ‘general’ evaluation to find the sites/instructors that apply to them.” This targeted approach not only simplifies the process for students but also ensures that the feedback is relevant and specific.

Morrell and Bell have continued to adjust their strategy and improve response rates even more. Evaluations are kept brief so that students are not overwhelmed if they attend rotations at a large number of sites. They also started opening the surveys to students sooner so that evaluations can be completed while the experience is still fresh in their mind, rather than waiting until the end of the semester.

“Now that we get more results, we are able to collect more meaningful feedback and quickly identify when there is a potential challenge,” said Morrell. “It’s an absolute joy to share the positive comments with clinical instructors so that they can see the impact they’ve had on our students.”

The experiences of Kris Morrell and Abby Bell at Auburn University College of Nursing underscore the importance of a streamlined, integrated approach to collecting evaluations. By leveraging a platform like ACEMAPP and ensuring that feedback is easily accessible and actionable, educational institutions can significantly improve their response rates and the quality of the insights they receive. Adopting these best practices can lead to more effective and meaningful feedback collection for organizations looking to enhance their evaluation processes. Contact a member of the ACEMAPP team to start collecting evaluations today.

Coordinator's Corner is a space to share ideas with fellow clinical education professionals. If you'd like to share your story, please contact us.