The practice of monitoring clinical competencies in undergraduate nursing education has been the focus of continuous discussion and interest for nurse educators (Isaacson & Stacy, 2009). While paper-based checklists remain the standard method of tracking skills and competencies achieved during clinical rotations, there is little consensus about the most effective process. In the search for a standardized process to track and evaluate the competencies of undergraduate nursing students, electronic platforms have been suggested. Such is the case for the electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) known as Typhoon Nursing School Tracking System (NTTS), University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Practice ePortfolio (PeP), and the nTrack system. These databases are relevant as they have been tested within nursing schools and provide an understanding of the disadvantages and advantages of implementing electronic platforms into clinical evaluation.
The general conclusion is that web-based platforms as assessment tools, including smartphone-based applications, can advance and support clinical learning. To gain a better understanding of the evaluation methods currently being used in clinical practice, I will explore the significance and limitations of paper-based and
…show more content…
One example is the nTrack system (see http://ntrack.skyscape.com/), a platform developed with the goal of facilitating the process of tracking clinical competencies in nursing education. It allows the clinical faculty to evaluate and provide prompt feedback about the students’ performances throughout clinical courses. Additionally, the nTrack claims to reduce the paperwork for faculty and to assist in the evaluation of each individual as well as the whole clinical group. Unfortunately, the literature does not address this platform and little is known about its