Evaluation of VET in nursing at Solothurner Spitäler AG
The SFIVET evaluation unit has been commissioned to conduct an external evaluation of apprenticeship training in health care at the Solothurner Spitäler AG as well as to advise them on existing internal evaluation activities.
This mandate is broken down into four parts.
Revision of questionnaire given to learners and interns
For a longer time, Solothurner Spitäler AG has conducted a survey of the following groups of learners and interns: learners enrolled in the two-year upper-secondary level VET programme for the Federal VET Certificate in Health Care and Social Care Assistance (AGS); learners enrolled in the three-year upper-secondary level VET programme for the Federal VET Diploma in Health Care (FaGe); and interns enrolled in tertiary-level nursing training at a Swiss professional college (HF) or university of applied sciences (FH). This survey is conducted for the purpose of systematically gathering information about the experiences of those who do their work-based training at Solothurner Spitäler AG. SFIVET's role is to assist with revision of the questionnaire given to learners and interns as well as with the systematic analysis of the data gathered and the presentation of findings.
Survey of learners who interrupted their apprenticeship
There is a need to determine the reasons why learners enrolled in VET programmes interrupt their apprenticeships at Solothurner Spitäler AG and the consequences that result from this. So far there has been no systematic analysis of this phenomenon. For this reason, all of those who interrupted their apprenticeships over the past few years will be surveyed.
Survey of hospital staff
At the Solothurner Spitäler AG, hospital staff are involved in the provision of apprenticeship training at varying degrees. Managers want to know what hospital staff think about the quality of apprenticeship training as well as their desires, praise, concerns, problems and suggestions for improvement. A questionnaire is therefore systematically sent out to the heads of hospital wards, departments, nursing and apprenticeship trainers.
Secondary analysis of available data
For the past several years, Solothurner Spitäler AG has systematically gathered information concerning apprenticeship training. It maintains files on learners, including the grades obtained during classroom instruction, during internships, documentation on the competences acquired, information about recruitment procedures and so on. Much of this data is in electronic format but also in hardcopy. All of this data are gathered and processed for specific purposes. If all of the data can be cross-referenced within a uniform system or analysed using a systematic overall assessment, then it may be possible to answer other relevant questions without having to create a new survey. SFIVET's role here is to advise Solothurner Spitäler AG and conduct in-depth analysis of existing data.