Use of Anecdotal Notes by Clinical Nursing Faculty: A Descriptive Study

Although the use of anecdotal notes by faculty to document clinical performance is thought to be a common practice, no empirical study of this evaluation tool has been conducted. To investigate the frequency and pattern of use, a faculty questionnaire was developed using the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) evaluation model as a framework. The model was adapted to focus on clinical nursing education. Sixty-four nursing faculty from six schools participated in the regional study. A descriptive design was used to collect quantitative data from clinical faculty. Findings indicated that 97% of clinical faculty use anecdotal notes during the student evaluation process, and the majority of faculty do so on a weekly basis. Based on faculty feedback and the CIPP evaluation model, a clinical nursing faculty tool was developed after study completion to support clinical faculty in note use.