Amistaff Launches RN Medical/Surgical & RN Pharmacology Exams Using New Validation Process Focused on Improving Quality of Patient Care
Amistaff Healthcare Technology, Inc. continues to raise standards of validated exam development with their NurseTesting. com service releasing the new RN Medical/Surgical Exam and RN Pharmacology Exam. Utilizing a competency exam validation process uniquely designed for the healthcare industry, hospitals and healthcare staffing firms receive access to exam content corresponding with specific job functions and requirements. Assisting with hiring and retaining the most qualified personnel for healthcare positions directly correlates to improving quality of patient care.
High Point, NC (Vocus) March 25, 2010
Amistaff Healthcare Technology, Inc. – leader in healthcare competency – continues to raise standards of validated exam development with their NurseTesting. com (http://www. nursetesting. com/proficiency/) service releasing the new Registered Nurse Medical/Surgical Exam and Registered Nurse Pharmacology Exam. Utilizing a new validation process never before applied to healthcare competency exams, hospitals and healthcare staffing firms receive access to exam content linked directly to specific job functions and requirements. Assisting with hiring and retaining the most qualified personnel for healthcare positions directly correlates to improving quality of patient care.
The RN Med/Surg Exam determines clinician competency based on the general med/surg patient population. This exam is inclusive of general disease pathologies along with provision of care familiar to the med/surg setting.
The RN Pharmacology Exam is designed to determine clinician competency in the area of RN pharmacology. This exam is inclusive of all vital components in the provision of care related to administration of medications and parenteral therapies.
The new exams augment NurseTesting. com’s extensive exam library (http://www. nursetesting. com/assessments/clinical/) which follows standards set forth by The Joint Commission (http://www. jointcommission. org/) (a national healthcare standards organization). The new content validation process takes the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978) and applies them to the development of these assessments.
The two phase development process starts with an in-depth Job Analysis where Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) provide a series of ratings for key job/duties/tasks and specific knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of healthcare professionals on the first day of the job. Then SMEs develop a test plan and begin writing items for exams.
During both phases statistical data is collected and analyzed (i. e. inter-rater reliabilities and Angoff ratings) yielding final recommendations for which items to include in the assessments. The data collected affords the opportunity for assigning initial unmodified Angoff Cutoff Scores (http://blog. amistaff. net/angoff_modified_score/). Widely-used arbitrary cutoff scores leave hospitals and staffing agencies wide-open for adverse impact claims. Amistaff's validation process (http://www. nursetesting. com/proficiency/validation/) helps minimize legal responsibility for hospitals and staffing agencies from the use of pass/fail cutoff scores.
Overseeing the implementation of the research and revision system, Chief Nursing Officer, James Ostmann Sr. RN, MBA, states, "We are confident that with the use of our newly validated exams, a more accurate assessment of healthcare professionals will be available, empowering the employer to select the best candidate for the position, thereby improving the quality of care being delivered to patients across the country."
Amistaff will continue utilization of this rigorous content validation process on future exams in an effort to provide high caliber pre-screening assessment tools for the healthcare industry. Implementing pre-screening standards aimed at hiring and retaining the best qualified healthcare professionals attests to facilities' and staffing agencies' commitment to improving quality of patient care.
About Amistaff Healthcare Technology - Amistaff Healthcare Technology was founded in 2004 as a healthcare staffing solutions provider. Amistaff creates products and services that help hospitals and healthcare staffing firms improve recruitment, retention and placement of caregivers. Amistaff includes a team of IT professionals, RN’s and former recruiters allowing Amistaff to base their products on an in-depth understanding of each client’s unique staffing requirements. All of the Amistaff products, including Prophecy Health (http://www. prophecyhealth. com/demo/), NurseTesting. com, and BlueSky Medical Staffing Software, are web-based solutions designed to simplify workflow and increase efficiency. Visit www. amistaff. com for additional information.
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