Skills Testing Policy in Nursing Lab Courses
Purpose/Policy:
Skills testing in nursing lab courses is designed to ensure that students demonstrate safe, competent performance of essential nursing skills prior to progressing in the program. Lab attendance, engagement in practice, and successful completion of all skill checkoffs are mandatory components of the course. Students are expected to come prepared, actively participate in hands‑on learning, and complete required practice to support skill mastery. The following policy outlines expectations related to lab attendance, simulation participation, and the retesting process in nursing lab courses.
** Lab hours are mandatory attendance. If a lab is missed, the hours missed will be added to your practice time and a Student Performance Notification (SPN) will be filled out and kept in your student file. It will be up to the student to get the content missed in lab. **
Simulation (if applicable): During this course there is a mandatory simulation. If a student misses due to an absence, this could result in the student not meeting the course outcomes and could result in a course failure.
If an absence results in a missed check-off or checkpoint, a zero will be recorded for that attempt, and the following grading policy will be applied.
Check-off Grading
- 1st Skill Test Attempt
- A minimum score of 77% is required to pass the skill.
- Certain elements of each skill are mandatory. All mandatory elements need to be performed to pass the skill, in addition to obtaining a 77% or more.
- The successful score earned on the first attempt will be entered in the grade book.
- 2nd Skill Test Attempt
- If the first-time skills test results in a failure, a second attempt is required.
- Student is required to complete at least one hour of additional practice time prior to the scheduled retest.
- If not completed prior to the scheduled retest time, a zero will be recorded, and a 3rd attempt will be required.
- For the second attempt the student must obtain a minimum of 77% but will receive no higher than an 80% for grading purposes.
- If the student achieves below a 77%, a 3rd attempt is required.
- Student is required to complete at least one hour of additional practice time prior to the scheduled retest.
- If the first-time skills test results in a failure, a second attempt is required.
- 3rd Skill Test Attempt
- If the student requires a 3rd attempt, the following steps will be enacted:
- A Student Performance Notification (SPN) for lab will be completed by the course facilitator, student, and BSN Program Director.
- The student will be required to complete two informal checkoffs as practice, with different faculty or HSRC staff before a final testing date is scheduled.
- The informal and formal testing are required to be completed within 2 weeks.
- Once the SPN plan is completed, a 77% will be entered for the skill check-off grade.
- If the SPN plan is not completed within 2 weeks, it will result in a course failure.
- If the student achieves below a 77% this would result in failing the skill and would result in a course failure.
- If the student requires a 3rd attempt, the following steps will be enacted: