Any info on PBDS?

Nurses General Nursing

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One of the head honchos at a local hospital (a BIG university-affiliated teaching hospital) is coming to our small community college to discuss with all of us nursing instructors the "merits" of PBDS. This exec also wants to "brainstorm"with us the possible reasons why many of our new RN graduates are performing so "poorly" on the PBDS (like I'm loosing sleep over this :(). This lady wants to offer our school "pointers" on improving the scores--suggestions on how we might "improve" our teaching methods or "conform" our curriculum to the PBDS mold. I am open to all suggestions of improvement (being a novice ADN instructor myself); however, something about this whole PBDS movement irks me to the core. I need to know--from some of you knowledgeable RN's out there--your perspective on PBDS. Is it a valuable way to measure competency or just another burden and hoop for the nurses to jump through in order to make the hospital "look good" on paper? Is it truly research based, reliable and valid??? Does anyone know the sources of Del Bueno's research??? (Need some ammo for this lady's visit):devil:

boggle, ASN, RN

393 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg.

What does PBDS stand for please?

DelGR

124 Posts

That term is new to me. What does it mean?

Editorial Team / Admin

dianah, ASN

8 Articles; 4,167 Posts

Specializes in RETIRED Cath Lab/Cardiology/Radiology.

PM Super Moderator NurseKarenRN, she usually has an abundance of info and websites that help.

lever5

154 Posts

Vicky,

Do a search on PBDS on this forum. I did research on the test, no it is not peer reviewed, the only research is from Del Bueno and associates. or people paid by her. The reason students do poorly on the test is the method of testing. A video clip that lasts one minute. Who has ever taken a test of this sort? Paradigm shift is what throws nurses or any one else. Do they use this test with other professions? Do they show a manager a one minute video and then give them 5 minutes to solve the puzzle and come up with a solution to the problem? How about a Dr.? How about an auto mechanic? I can teach a non-nurse to pass the test in 2 hours. They are looking for standard answers. Memorize a list and you have it. I do not think this test shows ability to be a competent nurse. This is a way for hospitals to show JAHCO that they have tested competency of nurses, better methods are being developed at this time. If nurses are taught with these methods, sort of like a megacode, here is the situation,, what are you going to do and why, Mississippi has started to do this in their nursing programs, its like training a dog how to react. WOOF.

RNinICU

235 Posts

We just started using the PBDS system to evaluate new hires, and "individualize" our orientation. It stands for Performanced Based Development System. It supposedly helps to identify weak areas. It seems to me to be just an expensive method to make new hires more nervous. It takes almost 2 weeks to get the results back, and if I haven't been able to identify an orientees strengths and weaknesses by that time, I should not be a preceptor. The cost is much more than it is worth IMO.

RNinICU

235 Posts

PBDS consists of three parts. The first is "Startling Statements." The person being tested is given a list of statements that might be made by a patient, physician, or coworker, and is supposed to respond. Statements from a doc may be something like "Why aren't there any competent nurses in this unit?" Or from a patient "Has anyone ever jumped out of a window in this hospital?" There are expexted responses to each of these questions. Then the orientee is shown pictures of IVs that have some kind of problem, and the testee is supposed to identify the problem and tell what should be done about it. Again there are standard answers. The last part is the videos, where very brief patient scenarios are viewed, and the orientee must evaluate the patient, and apply the nursing process to the patient problem. this is supposed to test assessment, prioritization, and planning skills. Test results are sent away to be evaluated. After orientation is complete, new hires are tested again, and results compared. No one will tell us exactly how much this costs per person, but I do know that it is very expensive.

sharann, BSN, RN

1,758 Posts

This sounds lovely. Just throw out leaded questions and expect great answers. "Well, no PATIENTS have jumped lately, but a few new hires tried to after taking this friigin test!"

Dayray, RN

700 Posts

I don't know about it for the managers point of view but I did have to take this test about 6 months ago.

I was pretty nervous, having heard all sorts of things about how terrible it is. It wasent that bad but I thought the video portion was horrible (allthoug I was told I did well). How can you make an assesment from a 1 - 3 minute clip? we were told to take notes but if you looked down to wright you missed half the clip.

In the clips the narrator tells you the symptoms or complaints the patient has had. The camera flashes (really fast) on things that are suposed to be important and then you are shown some labs for 30 seconds. then the tape is stoped and you have a few minuets to make an assesment.

In real life a nurse would spend time collecting data and "getting a feel for the patient". I dont think this test is fair and I dont think it was desighned by nurses.

lever5

154 Posts

When I did the iv with some kind of problem, They had a picture of a broken bottle with iv tubing on it. I said throw away the setup and hang new. This was not adequate, they said I would throw away the bottle but use the same tubing??????? Set up to me means the whole thing. What kind of stupid employees do they have correcting these things, Vicky, if you could find out the credentials of the people that grade these tests, it would give me more confidence in it.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN

49 Articles; 5,349 Posts

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Thank y'all very much!!! I knew ALLNURSES would help... you always do--great bunch of folks. I plan to do an advanced search at the college on Performance Based Data Systems and Dorothy DelBueno.

JonRN

157 Posts

When I read about idiot crap like this it really brightens my day. Why, you ask? Because I am RETIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pappy

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