Assessment of student clinical performance is a core nurse educator responsibility, yet there are myriad challenges associated with these assessments during high-stakes simulation and clinical testing.

This mixed methods study was a component of a larger study investigating the impact of faculty personality characteristics on reliability when evaluating student performance during simulation. Nurse educator participants reviewed their individual CliftonStrengths Assessment data prior to reflecting on open-ended and Likert-type scale questions.

Data analysis resulted in three themes that promote fair student evaluation: Knowing Yourself; Knowing Your Tool; Knowing Your Team.

To promote the integrity of student evaluation in simulation and clinical testing environments, knowing one's strengths and how they affect student assessment is paramount; development of a shared mental model of tools used to rate student performance is key; and critical team conversations are essential to understanding and leveraging varying nurse educator strengths influencing the assessment process.