Publication Date
Spring 2025
Presentation Length
Poster/Gallery presentation
College
Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing
Department
Nursing, School of
Student Level
Graduate
SPARK Category
Research
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Sternberg
SPARK Session
SPARK Session: 10:15 am - 11:45 am, Poster presentation Faculty: Kathryn Dambrino, Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing Poster: Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects Location: Beaman
Presentation Type
Poster
Summary
Project title: Navigating Excellence: A Comprehensive Program Evaluation of an Academic Clinical Nurse Educator Pilot Course
Background and Rationale: Clinical instructors play a key role in nursing education, yet clinical instructors have varying degrees of formal preparation for the role. These inconsistencies affect student outcomes and instructors’ ability to effectively teach, mentor, and evaluate students. To address this, Belmont University developed the Academic Clinical Nurse Educator Program online course. This project conducted a comprehensive program evaluation to assess its effectiveness.
Aim: This project evaluated the effectiveness, success, and sustainability of an online Clinical Nurse Educator and Preceptor course designed to prepare registered nurses to teach undergraduate students and new nurses in clinical settings.
Design: This study used a summative program evaluation guided by the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) framework to systematically assess the program’s relevance, implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability. It focused on program outcomes, participant perceptions, and long-term sustainability.
Methods: Course content was mapped to the AACN Essentials to assess alignment with national nursing accreditation standards. Data collection included surveys from Belmont Online, Qualtrics, and the ACNESAT, a validated tool measuring confidence and self-efficacy. The ACNESAT assessed role characteristics and fulfillment. Survey responses were analyzed for satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, role expectations, and areas for improvement.
Results: The summative evaluation showed an 80% completion rate and increased self-efficacy (+19%), with the greatest gain in assessment/evaluation strategies (+21.84%).
- Satisfaction & Impact: Participants rated content (7.67/10) and interactivity (7.5/10) highly; 53% plan to take the CNEcl exam. Key themes: communication, professional boundaries, and bias reduction.
- AACN Essentials Mapping: The course aligned with 9/10 competencies, with the highest representation in Professional Development (92.8%) and Professionalism (87%).
Conclusions: The course effectively improved self-efficacy, confidence, and preparedness for clinical teaching, with the greatest improvement found in assessment/evaluation strategies. High satisfaction and strong alignment with AACN Essentials support its relevance and sustainability.
Implications for Practice: This evaluation underscores the need for ongoing faculty development in clinical assessment. Findings support structured, competency-based programs in enhancing self-efficacy, professional growth, and certification readiness.
Recommended Citation
Marquart, Rachel; Sternberg, Jennifer; Dambrino, Kathryn; Phillippi, David; Savage, Jessica; and Legge, Tammy, "Navigating Excellence: A Comprehensive Program Evaluation of an Academic Clinical Nurse Educator Pilot Course" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 519.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/519
