Recent survey data shows students and faculty feel that Sherpath supports exam preparation. When it comes to NGN, Sherpath includes NGN item types through Elsevier Adaptive Quizzing (EAQ) at fidelity to what students will see on the new exam format. Our team of subject matter experts work diligently to develop comprehensive item types for NGN to ensure you have the tools you need to begin preparing students.
Here are recommendations, best practices, and tips to make the most out of the NGN enhancements to Sherpath with EAQ:
EAQ NGN Item Types
- Key content areas have one unfolding case consisting of six questions plus one stand-alone item.
- Use in class as part of in-depth discussion to develop clinical judgment skills.
- Next to the assigned NGN quiz, click on Actions, View as Student, to work through the NGN item types in class with the students on the projector screen.
- Assign outside of class for additional practice.
- Use 1 item type in post-conference that supports what students saw in clinical that day.
- Next to the assigned NGN quiz, click on Actions, then Results for student scores on NGN item types, as well as each step in the NCSBN-CJMM.
Group Activities
- By clicking on Additional Resources available in Sherpath, you can select group activities focusing on pathophysiology and nursing interventions. These support content that students must know to answer NGN items. Group activities can be used online, virtually, or in face-to-face collaborative learning groups.
Evolve Instructor and Student Resources
- Unfolding case studies in the instructor and student resources can be used to teach clinical judgment by using the provided questions plus instructor-added questions based on the 6 cognitive processes in the NCSBN-CJMM.
- Intersperse your questions with selected PowerPoint slides in the instructor resources, such as pathophysiology, to teach more difficult content in 10-minute lecturettes.
- Involve students in discussion while using the slides to engage them and assess their understanding.
- End with a bowtie or trend EAQ NGN item type on the same topic to assess multiple clinical judgment skills.
Sherpath Case Studies
- Sherpath case studies, available in select Sherpath courses, support clinical judgment differently than a traditional unfolding case study by containing a beginning scenario followed by three to five free-text or multiple-choice questions. The scenario and free-text boxes encourage students to generate their own answers, which supports the type of thinking required on the NGN where the item types require a greater breadth and depth of knowledge.
- Instead of making the case studies visible to students, display them on the projector screen in class. Show each answer after discussing as a class or by using Think-Pair-Share.
- Use case studies as a ticket to class. Require students to have expanded answers with rationales prepared when they come to class (not merely reading the provided answers). Discuss what they have prepared at the start of class.
