It's important that students are evaluated regularly while in the nursing program to ensure they are obtaining the skills necessary for their profession. This is done by assignments and tests staggered throughout each semester. Since knowledge in the nursing field often builds on previous lessons and techniques, students who begin to fail tests and assignments may no longer do well in the program. Using these evaluation methods, instructors and administrators can determine which students merit advancement in the program.
Nursing instructors need to be effective teachers to ensure their students are obtaining the required information and knowledge needed to work as a nurse in a healthcare setting. Evaluating teachers ensures that teachers who are not effective in the classroom or clinical setting are replaced with teachers who are effective and provide students with the information they need to know.
The nursing field is continually changing as nursing research uncovers new practices and techniques that benefit nurses, patients and the entire healthcare community. Evaluating nursing education programs regularly ensures that nursing schools are teaching the best practices possible and not using outdated information or techniques.
While each state requires a nursing license issued by the state's board of nursing, the information and practice of being a nurse remain the same. When nursing programs are evaluated by an accrediting agency such as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, they are compared to a set of nursing standards to ensure they are teaching the same materials as other schools across the U.S. By having the same education regardless of where they went to school, nurses are able to move and still qualify for a license in their new state of residence. This allows them to continue working in the nursing field.