Clinical Competency Exams (CCEs)
Rationale for Policy: In order to determine students’ acquisition of knowledge for specific nursing
interventions and skills, students may be required to perform Clinical Competency Exams (CCEs) at
specified times. Clinical Competency Exams are also a method used to evaluate safe, competent and
proficient performance of fundamental nursing interventions, skills, and techniques.
Successful performance of the CCE does not indicate that the student is ready for independent
performance in the clinical setting. Some skills performed require the presence of the clinical instructor.
Each student should check with his or her clinical instructor prior to performing skills in the clinical
setting.
Prior to completing CCEs, the student will have time to practice skills with and/or without assistance
from the nursing faculty before the clinical competency exams. Independent practice requires students
to sign in and sign out of the nursing skills labs. It would be in the student’s best interest to call to
ensure the lab is not in use by a group at the time of desired practice. Students may also refer to the
“Open Lab” schedule posted in each classroom/lab.
The selected skills for CCEs are defined in each course syllabus. The student will perform a selected
number of CCEs at a specific time as noted in the course syllabus and/or weekly calendar for the course.
Each CCE has a set number of tasks that the student should perform. Each CCE will be completed within
a specific amount of allotted time. (Please refer to table below. ) If time expires without the skill being
completed, this will be an unsuccessful CCE attempt.
CCE Time Limit
Head to Toe + VS 20 minutes
IV insertion 15 minutes
IV push Medication Administration
10 minutes
All medication Administration 10 minutes
Trach Care 15 minutes
Trach Sx 15 minutes
CVL Care and Dressing Change 15 minutes
NGT insertion, care, and removal 10 minutes
Post part assessment 20 minutes
Peds assessment 20 minutes
Score
Rationale
100
Skill completed, no mistakes
;
performed all critical
points
80
Skill completed, self
-
correction of mistakes; performed all critical points
0
Skill not completed
;
missed one (1) or more critical points
.
Student ratings will be determined following the above grading rubric.
The average of all earned points will be totaled for each skill. The percent of assigned value of the skill
will be calculated based upon a pre-determined formula. A successful attempt for CCEs is defined as a
performance with a total of 80% or above. Within each skill, certain tasks are identified as critical points
with bolded wording. Critical points are tasks that are necessary for safe performance of the skill. The
absence of performing a critical task or unsatisfactory performance of a critical task renders the act
