Instruments assessing nurse educator's competence: A scoping review.
Terhi Lemetti, Anni Pakarinen, Leena Salminen and 2 others
PMID 36403245WHAT IT FOUND
Nineteen tools exist to assess nurse educators' competence, but most rely on self-report and lack rigorous validation.
Students evaluating teachers often measure satisfaction rather than actual competence, so no single instrument provides a complete picture of educator skill.
Key findings
01The review identified 19 instruments for assessing nurse educator competence, with 14 used for self-assessment and 7 for assessment by others such as students or administrators.
02Psychometric reporting was inconsistent; while face and content validity were common, construct validity was reported for only seven instruments, and systematic use of reporting guidelines was missing.
03Competence assessments often conflate teaching performance with actual competence, as students and other assessors may be evaluating satisfaction or course arrangements rather than the educator's professional capabilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The search was limited to English-language articles, potentially excluding relevant instruments developed in other regions. Grey literature was not included, which may have missed unpublished or institution-specific assessment tools. The review focused on instruments assessing competence, not performance examinations or other evaluation methods, limiting the scope of available assessment strategies. The search strategy did not capture the full development and validation process for all included instruments, making it difficult to judge the quality of some tools.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret student course evaluations as a valid measure of a nurse educator's clinical or pedagogical competence. The review notes that students often assess satisfaction and course arrangements, not the educator's actual professional capabilities.