Is There Evidence of Failing to Fail in Our Schools of Nursing?

UNIVERSITIES & colleges; CHI-squared test; EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements; RESEARCH methodology; NURSING education; NURSING school faculty; NURSING students; SCHOOL failure; RATING of students; CROSS-sectional method; COLLEGE teacher attitudes; DESCRIPTIVE statistics

AIM To assess evidence for 'failing to fail' in undergraduate nursing programs. BACKGROUND Literature on grading practices largely focuses on clinical or academic grading. Reviewing both as distinct entities may miss a more systemic grading problem. METHOD A cross-sectional survey targeted 235 faculty within university and community colleges in a western state. Chi-square tests of independence explored the relation between institutional and faculty variables. RESULTS The response rate was 34 percent. Results suggest failing to fail may be evident across the sector in both clinical and academic settings: 43 percent of respondents had awarded higher grades than merited; 17.7 percent had passed written examinations they felt should fail; 66 percent believed they had worked with students who should not have passed their previous placement. CONCLUSION Failing to fail cuts across instructional settings. Further exploration is imperative if schools are to better engender a climate for rigorously measuring student attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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