The use of case histories to assess nurses' ability to solve clinical problems

The use of case histories to assess nurses’ability to solve clinical problems Nurses’performance in written examinations often bears little relationship to their level of clinical proficiency in the ward. This paper describes a method of making written examinations more relevant to the clinical situation. It describes the development of a case history test which confronts students with the kind of information they have to interpret and act upon in the ward, and which requires them to recall the principles of nursing care and apply them in a way similar to real life. Evidence is presented that tests of this type are more closely linked to clinical performance than are conventional written examinations, and guidelines are given for constructing case history tests.