How Can SMART Goals and “Raising the Stakes” Each Year Help Build Stronger Competency Assessments?

How Can SMART Goals and “Raising the Stakes” Each Year Help Build Stronger Competency Assessments?

Building the scenario around SMART goals also helps: specific, meaning the scenario stays within the current need; measurable, using a point-based scoring system for each broad and specific objective; achievable, meaning preparatory education and pre-briefing have been provided and the scenario uses current practice rather than a rarely performed skill; and time-bound, meaning each person is allotted the same amount of time to complete the scenario, but not so much time that the learner loses focus or energy.  

Scores from the competency are compared to previous years, where applicable, to identify growth or newly identified knowledge or skill gaps. In a first year, there will not be comparative scores yet, but starting the scoring process is still valuable for tracking improvement going forward. Each year, it is worth raising the stakes for specific objectives once scores trend toward improvement or near 100 percent. For example, blood gas analysis might initially allow partial credit, then later require full, accurate interpretation to receive a score. Similarly, a waveform-based objective might initially ask staff only to identify whether an asynchrony is present, then later require identifying the mode of ventilation, the asynchrony itself, and the corrective action.

This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from Sara Murphy, MBA, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS.