Digital Evaluation tool

1. Would the tool be transferrable with progress made thus far by the IEN if the assigned preceptor/mentor nurse was sick or off and a new preceptor/mentor was assigned to support the IEN?
2. Would the preceptor/mentor nurse also be able to provide feedback/comments on the digital tool?
3. Would the digital tool allow for tailoring of the questions to capture individualized learning outcomes for the individual IEN?

1. I felt the question was answered well (adaptable-accessible by the Clinical Nurse Mentor) and Ancy had thought this through while coming up with the solution.
2. Answered well, Ancy reported she also thought about this after and would try and tweak the tool so that the preceptor/mentor can also provide feedback.
3. Answered well, the series of questions and responses by IEN will tailor depending on the IENs response (e.g if strong in IV skills and weak for wound care–questions and support will focus on wound care by CNE/mentor nurse).

Ancy did a great job presenting what is currently available and how it is not working  (backed by research and many of us in clinical educator roles can relate to the paper heavy resources). She explained she is not reinventing the wheel but simply adding to an already existing tool for orientation by creating one for supporting IEN’s. In terms of  how the digital tool would work; her visual aids (slide that mimicked a cell phone screen) allowed me to see how this would look on the screen of an IEN’s cellphone with sample questions and clickable response and free text book, weekly report and dashboard. She kept in mind that the tool would need to be encrypted (thought out security threats). She also spoke to how it was attractive to IEN’s as it was simply answering the questions on your phone versus pulling out papers and having to fill those out. She also addressed how it would benefit the health authorities in terms of being financially feasible and uptake by CNE’s and mentors/preceptors. Ancy also was able to create a timeline for implementation which supported how feasible and simple this solution was for uptake. I found this solution to be very efficient, feasible, realistic and attractive. I hope she is able to have it launch at her worksite!

1. Orientation to the tool: Ensuring there is a training process for the preceptor and mentor nurses and having all the unit nurses take the course. Staff scheduling (sick calls) are unpredictable, and having all staff trained would also allow for other nurses to support one another (trouble shooting).
2. For the course itself, shorten it to 30 minutes and perhaps do a few sessions in person versus online (more engaging and can troubleshoot in the moment). or  having live education sessions over teams which allows for more staff to login in and participate. Most nurses would be able to quickly adapt to using this, however, some nurses that are not as tech savvy or as comfortable with using phones/technology may be resistant to adapting using this tool. From my research for another assignment, having mentor/preceptor buy in goes a long way.

1. Ensuring the nurse who is mentoring/supporting the IEN and the nurse in charge for the shift is able to provide feedback and access the tool. This allows the mentoring nurse to be able to provide feedback (what went well and what the IEN can focus or improve on).
2. Continuous progress captured. For example, an IEN can answer and submit responses throughout the shift versus just at the end. This prevents the nurse from having to answer everything at once and might be more easier for the nurses.
3. Having a built in trigger or alert for the CNE or the nurse mentor. Alerts would be triggered by the responses from the IEN and it would alert the CNE/mentor if something high priority needs to be addressed or followed up with in that shift.