NR 537 Week 4 Scholarly Discussion Item Analysis

NR 537 Week 4 Scholarly Discussion Item Analysis

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Chamberlain University

NR-537: Assessment & Evaluation in Education

Prof. Name

Date

Effective Test Construction for Cardiovascular Disease Care for Adults

Creating tests for cardiovascular disease care for adults involves careful planning and consideration of various factors, including course outcomes, competencies, and the level of nursing students. It is essential to structure tests that address the complexity of the topic and ensure fair discrimination among students. A test blueprint, along with Bloom’s revised taxonomy, aids in this process by helping educators assess the understanding of nursing students at different levels.

Understanding the Content Area for Cardiovascular Disease Care

The cardiovascular disease care module is tailored for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students and those pursuing certification programs. The unit primarily focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular diseases in adults. Key topics covered include heart failure, hypertension, angina-coronary artery disease (CAD), Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD), and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). These conditions are closely interrelated, with the progression of one often leading to others.

Cardiovascular diseases are prevalent and chronic, making them a critical area of focus in nursing education. Nurses must be able to assess and treat these conditions using evidence-based practices and an understanding of laboratory results, dosage calculations, and drug administration. The ability to provide holistic, patient-centered care is also emphasized.

Course Outcomes for Cardiovascular Disease Care

The course outcomes outline the knowledge and skills that nursing students should develop upon completion of the module. These include:

• Identifying and Describing Cardiovascular Diseases: Understanding different types of cardiovascular diseases, their symptoms, and how they are diagnosed.
• Integrating Clinical Knowledge: Applying theoretical and clinical knowledge from biology, physical sciences, and behavioral sciences in the management of cardiovascular diseases.
• Assessing Risk Factors: Identifying and evaluating risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases.
• Analyzing Laboratory Results: Demonstrating the ability to interpret lab results and use them to develop effective treatment plans.
• Calculating Dosages and Interventions: Accurately calculating medication dosages and implementing interventions.
• Providing Evidence-Based Care: Applying evidence-based approaches to care, considering cultural factors and patient preferences.

Test Blueprint for Cardiovascular Disease Care Module

A well-structured test blueprint helps ensure the alignment of test questions with course outcomes and learning objectives. Below is a breakdown of the cardiovascular disease care module, including its total points and the distribution of questions across content areas.

NR 537 Week 3 Test Construction

Developing Multiple-Choice Questions for Cardiovascular Disease Care

Effective multiple-choice questions should be clear, concise, and aimed at testing students’ understanding of cardiovascular disease concepts. Here are examples of multiple-choice items:

1. Which modifiable risk factor should be prioritized for a patient with prehypertension?
   a. Lack of exercise
   b. BMI index of 20
   c. Drinking wine daily
   d. High sodium intake
   e. Smoking one pack of cigarettes daily

2. When monitoring for target organ damage as a result of hypertension, the nurse should be most concerned about which laboratory finding?
   a. ALT 42 u/L
   b. BUN 16 mg/dL
   c. Serum creatinine 1.75 mg/dL
   d. AST 37 u/L

3. Which condition causes chest pain?
   a. Increased preload
   b. Decreased contractility
   c. Decreased afterload
   d. Decreased oxygen supply to the myocardium

4. What sign of poor organ perfusion should the nurse monitor for a client who experienced a myocardial infarction and later develops left ventricular heart failure?
   a. Serum creatinine value of 1.7 mg/dL
   b. ALT at 122 u/L
   c. Urine output below 30mL/hour
   d. All of the above

5. The body’s initial compensatory mechanism, which maintains cardiac output during heart failure, is:
   a. Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System
   b. Increased parasympathetic nervous system stimulation
   c. Decreased sympathetic nervous system stimulation
   d. Increased sympathetic nervous system stimulation

6. Peripheral arterial disease results in reduced oxygenated blood flow to the lower extremities, causing ischemia.
   a. True
   b. False

Developing Alternative Item Types for Cardiovascular Disease Care

To assess students’ deeper understanding, it is important to incorporate alternative item types, such as short answer, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which diagnosis should be prioritized when a client has left-sided heart failure?
   a. Activity Intolerance
   b. Anxiety
   c. Fatigue
   d. Impaired Gas Exchange

2. Which assessment finding(s) should indicate that a patient has biventricular heart failure?
   a. Crackles in the lungs bilaterally
   b. 2+ pitting edema in the lower extremities
   c. Labored respirations pattern
   d. All of the above

True/False Questions

1. Coronary heart disease is commonly referred to as ischemic heart disease and coronary artery disease.
   a. True
   b. False

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions

1. Hypertensive heart disease is caused by __.
   a. High blood pressure
   b. Low blood pressure
   c. High blood sugar
   d. Low blood sugar

NR 537 Week 3 Test Construction

Conclusion

Constructing tests for cardiovascular disease care in adults is an essential part of nursing education. By developing a comprehensive test blueprint, utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy, and creating varied question types, educators can ensure that students are effectively assessed on their understanding of cardiovascular diseases. With careful planning, nursing students can demonstrate the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high-quality care to adult patients with cardiovascular conditions.

Effective Item Analysis: Ensuring Quality and Relevance in Competency Tests

In the realm of education and nursing, ensuring the quality and fairness of competency assessments is critical. This is where item analysis comes into play. Conducting a thorough item analysis before making any decisions about a test helps identify potential issues that could impact the validity of the assessment. A well-executed item analysis incorporates both quantitative and qualitative data, which are essential in improving the test’s accuracy and reliability.

Understanding Item Analysis and Its Importance

Item analysis is a systematic process used to assess the quality of test items in an educational or clinical setting. By analyzing the responses to each question, educators and administrators can identify problematic areas, ensuring that the test accurately measures students’ competencies without causing undue confusion or bias. According to Kaur et al. (2016), item analysis involves gathering and evaluating both qualitative and quantitative data to establish the test’s quality. This comprehensive approach helps prevent unfair assessments and supports better educational outcomes.

NR 537 Week 4 Scholarly Discussion Item Analysis

Using Qualitative Data in Item Analysis

Qualitative data plays a crucial role in item analysis by providing insights into the perspectives of learners and staff. By gathering feedback directly from students and staff nurses through interviews, educators can uncover any issues related to the test questions, such as unclear wording or questions that do not align with the material being taught. This feedback allows educators to assess whether certain test items need to be revised, removed, or retained.

When gathering qualitative information, it’s important to focus on learners’ thoughts, feelings, and perceptions regarding the competency test questions. This can be achieved through open-ended discussions, surveys, or focus groups. Such data helps educators identify specific areas of concern and make informed decisions about adjustments to the test format or content. Feedback from staff nurses can also help clarify any inconsistencies or biases in the test, ensuring that it reflects the competencies needed in practice.

Incorporating Quantitative Data for Objective Evaluation

While qualitative feedback provides subjective insights, quantitative data allows for an objective evaluation of each test item’s performance. By analyzing the students’ scores on individual test items, educators can assess which questions posed significant challenges to the learners. This is particularly important in competency tests, where understanding the specific areas of difficulty can help refine the assessment.

To gather quantitative data, educators need to collect and analyze scores for each item across all students. For example, if a particular test item has a low pass rate, it suggests that the item may be too difficult. Kaur et al. (2016) describe how to calculate item difficulty using the percentage of students who answered correctly. The range for item difficulty is typically expressed on a scale from 0 to 100, where higher values indicate less difficulty.

Interpreting Results: Understanding Item Difficulty

Interpreting the results of item difficulty analysis is essential to identifying areas for improvement in the test. When an item has a perfect score (100%) or a fail rate of 0%, it may indicate that the test item was either too easy or too difficult, respectively. Ideally, a well-balanced test should have a range of item difficulty levels to appropriately challenge students at different levels of understanding.

An item with a 50% pass rate can be particularly telling. If half of the learners score above 50% on a question while the rest score below, it suggests that the item is presenting a difficulty that some students cannot overcome. This discrepancy warrants further investigation to determine whether the issue lies with the test itself or the students’ understanding of the concept.

Balancing Test Quality: The Role of Both Quantitative and Qualitative Data

A balanced approach to item analysis, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data, is essential for improving the test’s fairness and accuracy. Quantitative data alone may not fully explain why a particular question is difficult, while qualitative data alone may not provide clear evidence of how well a question measures the desired competencies. Combining both types of data helps educators and administrators better understand whether the issue lies with the test content, format, or the students’ preparation.

For instance, a student’s failure to answer a question correctly could stem from a lack of understanding of the concept, or it could be due to a poorly worded or confusing question. Qualitative feedback can clarify whether the issue is related to test design or student comprehension, offering valuable insights for improvement.

Conclusion: Ensuring Accurate and Fair Assessments

In conclusion, conducting a comprehensive item analysis before making any changes to a competency test is crucial for ensuring its validity and reliability. By combining both qualitative and quantitative data, educators can identify problem areas, refine test items, and make well-informed decisions about the future direction of the assessment. Ultimately, this process leads to better testing practices that accurately assess students’ competencies and provide a fairer, more effective educational experience.

References

Kaur, M., Singla, S., & Mahajan, R. (2016). Item analysis of in-use multiple choice questions in pharmacology. International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research, 6(3), 170. doi: 10.4103/2229-516X.186965

NR 537 Week 4 Scholarly Discussion Item Analysis

Quaigrain, K., & Arhin, A. K. (2017). Using reliability and item analysis to evaluate a teacher-developed test in educational measurement and evaluation. Cogent Education, 4(1), 1301013. doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2017.1301013