Committee Member Spotlight

As a clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina, Kimberly had experience writing test questions for the senior level undergraduate course she coordinates but saw item writing for the PNCB as a new challenge.

Kimberly, what do you consider the most rewarding part of the item writing experience?

I absolutely love networking with the other item writers. We all come from such varied backgrounds. It's interesting to see how they view the questions from a clinical standpoint. It's also great to talk to other educators and get some insight into their programs and how certain courses are set up.

Can you share how you go through the process of writing an item from start to finish? What resources do you rely on as you proceed?

After Peg Harrison, Director of Exam Development, lets us know what the "hot" topics are for the current year I go to a textbook and review the chapter related to the topic. At the same time I think of what the floor nurses see, what they have to address in their care of patients, or what I have seen when taking students into the clinical area. I then try to formulate a question based on that information. I use a current medication book, usually Pediatric Dosage Handbook by Taketomo and the most current pediatric text by Wong: Wong?s Nursing Care of Infants and Children, plus a few others.

After an item is written, there's still work to be done. As a committee member, your next task is to begin the careful review and editing process. Can you share the basic steps you take as you polish a newly written item into its final form on the exam?

The committee convenes and newly written questions are passed out that need to be evaluated. These are questions received from both internal and external writers. We are divided up into working groups and given a group of questions to review for clarity, level of difficulty, and accuracy. If we can make simple revisions to the questions we do so at that time. If the question has a good "root" but may take more time than we have allotted to this process, we keep it and it is assigned to a committee member for rewrite. Some questions are evaluated and not used. A committee member may volunteer to do the rewrite if the area is their specialty or of interest to them. Otherwise the questions for rewrite are divided up among the committee members, and we receive them about September and return them within about four to six weeks.

What do you see as the benefits of item writing for the PNCB?

I look at this experience as a way to network with other professionals. I also see it as a way to improve my test writing skills for the students I teach, and a way to improve my knowledge. I am technically an educator first and clinical person second. These meetings are an additional way for me to improve my knowledge on different areas.

If CPNs are thinking about external item writing as they read this, what words of encouragement would you like to share?

Absolutely take the opportunity to be a part of this process! It has been one of the best experiences I have had in nursing. Not only is it personally fulfilling but it gives one the opportunity to give back to others, to help them advance in their profession.

Thank you so much, Kimberly, for sharing your experiences! We're proud to have you on our item writing team and hope readers have a greater understanding of the work you do.

Are you interested in becoming an external item writer? Click here to find out more about this exciting chance to advance your profession. Those who sign up and fulfill their committment earn continuing education hours, free PNCB Recertification for CE options, and more!

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