Clinical Expertise As a Function of Educational Preparation

To differentiate skills possessed by the clinical nurse specialist from skills possessed by the baccalaureate nurse and to determine if different levels of education made a difference in quantity and quality of nursing care, levels of performance on a specific task were compared. The study population consisted of 40 subjects, 20 clinical nurse specialists and 20 baccalaureate nurses, with one to ten years of experience. A 16mm film, consisting of five sequences depicting patient situations commonly met by nurses in hospitals, was used as a data collection tool. Findings supported the hypothesis that the quantity and quality of patient care provided by the clinical specialist would be superior to that provided by the baccalaureate nurse. The study showed further that with increasing years of experience the quality and quantity of nursing care declined, unless the nurse continually evaluated her professional efficiency and sought additional education after three to five years of clinical experience.