Ability of clinical assessment methods to differentiate levels of competence in undergraduate nursing education: a scoping review protocol
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Clinical assessment informs decisions about nursing students’ progression, remediation and readiness for practice. Although validity and reliability are frequently reported, less is known about whether assessment scores and decisions differentiate meaningful levels of competence. This scoping review will map how discriminatory capacity has been conceptualised, operationalised, evaluated and reported in undergraduate preregistration nursing education, together with factors relevant to its interpretation. Methods and analysis The review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Eligible evidence will concern undergraduate preregistration nursing students assessed in clinical placements, simulation environments or clinical skills laboratories, including studies of assessors evaluating this population. Studies must report evidence relevant to differentiation, including direct evidence, indirect score-pattern indicators, or assessor-related and implementation-related influences. We will search MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, ERIC, APA PsycINFO and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global from January 2006 to December 2026 without language restrictions. Backward and forward citation searching will supplement database searches. Two reviewers will independently screen records and chart data using a piloted form. The authors will synthesise findings using descriptive numerical summaries, evidence tables and narrative analysis. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required because the review will synthesise existing literature and will not involve human participants or identifiable personal information. We will submit findings to a peer-reviewed journal, present them at relevant conferences, and make them available through the Open Science Framework. Open Science Framework registration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/R6H3Z.