Special Content Sessions
Although many students may do well without ongoing remediation assistance, certain areas of the nursing program are often difficult for many. For example, drug calculations, fluid and electrolyte imbalance and acid-base balance often are stumbling blocks to many students. Analysis of test results often yield other areas of content where students may not do well. Offering special sessions (either optional or required) on topics identified as problematic can be helpful, particularly if the session includes application of the content in a patient scenario.
Coordination of the Remediation Process
A variety of approaches may be used to structure the remediation program. Traditionally, faculty may be responsible for their own students, remediating themwith or without digital support and documenting the results. In some cases, remediation responsibilities for a student may be transferred from one faculty to another as students move from one class or clinical to another. In other cases, students keep the same remediation faculty advisor throughout the course of study, regardless of the classes in which the students are enrolled. To ensure that all students who need remediation receive adequate support, coordination of the remediation process is critical. Several strategies may be used to provide consistency throughout the remediation. One person, either a faculty member or other individual with organizational skills may be assigned to coordinate the process, following up to be sure that students participate in the process and that their needs are being met. This Coordinator is often charged with evaluating the results of the remediation program as a whole. In some cases, the coordinator with the appropriate skills may also do some or all the remediation activities.
Evaluation of the Remediation Program
Remediation or student success programs are time-intensive and thus, expensive, so evaluation of the program to determine the effectiveness is necessary. Increasing the number/percentage of students in any cohort who successfully pass the NCLEX is the ultimate goal of implementing a remediation program. However, how do we know that an increased (or continued satisfactory) first- time pass rate on the NCLEX is influenced by the remediation program? Digging deeper into the evaluation of the remediation program can provide additional information not only about the students’ efforts to increase their knowledge, but also about various compo- nents of the nursing program. While students bear responsibility for improving their own perfor- mance, assessing components of the nursing program by evaluating the remediation program can provide useful information about the program’s effectiveness Table A illustrates how the evaluation of the remediation program can highlight specific areas across the curriculum.
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