Does Faculty Experience Count? A Quantitative Analysis of Evidence-Based Testing Practices in Baccalaureate Nursing Education.

Abstract

This study explored evidence-based testing practices of nurse faculty teaching in baccalaureate programs. Faculty-developed examinations are important for determining progression in nursing programs. Little is known about faculty who implement such practices most often. A causal comparative study with a convenience sample of 177 was used to answer the research question. Participants were grouped according to level of teaching experience based on Benner's novice to expert theory. Individual/group means were calculated for the best practices in test development survey; one-way analysis of variance was used to identify significant differences between groups. Expert faculty had higher overall mean scores than the other four groups, with significantly higher scores than both the advanced beginner (p = .007) and proficient (p = .020) groups. Faculty with more experience seem to implement evidence-based testing practices most often. This information can be used to guide faculty development and peer-mentoring initiatives within nursing programs.