SELF/Perioperative Nursing/Electro-Surgical Units/Psychomotor Skills Practice Assessment
Psychomotor Assessment Rubric for Electrosurgical Units (ECSACONM)
[edit | edit source]Overview
[edit | edit source]This page provides a psychomotor assessment rubric for evaluating electrosurgical unit (ESU) setup competency, developed for perioperative nursing training under ECSACONM (East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing). It is a companion assessment tool to the Electrosurgical Units Skills Practice Instructions page, used by evaluators to rate student/practitioner performance on each step of ESU setup and safety verification on a 5-point scale.
Purpose
[edit | edit source]To provide a standardized scoring framework for assessing clinical competency in electrosurgical unit setup, ranging from "Clinically Unacceptable / Not Performed" (1) to "Excellent" (5), with defined criteria at each anchor point.
Rating Scale
[edit | edit source]- 1 – Clinically Unacceptable / Not Performed
- 2 – (between 1 and 3, no separate descriptor)
- 3 – Clinically Acceptable / Performed
- 4 – (between 3 and 5, no separate descriptor)
- 5 – Excellent
Assessment Rubric
[edit | edit source]| Step | Name | Assessment Method | 1 – Clinically Unacceptable / Not Performed | 2 | 3 – Clinically Acceptable / Performed | 4 | 5 – Excellent | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gather supplies | Articulated | Not done | Done | ||||
| 2 | Plug in and inspect ESU unit | Observed | Fails to inspect equipment, misses obvious defects, or creates unsafe setup conditions | Safely powers and inspects the ESU, identifying major defects and confirming basic functionality | Performs a systematic inspection, identifies subtle hazards, and verifies complete readiness before proceeding | |||
| 3 | Connect ESU handpiece and foot pedal if needed | Observed | Incorrect connections, loose connections, unsafe foot pedal placement, or poor cable management | Correctly connects all required accessories and positions them safely for use | Efficiently connects and organizes equipment while proactively preventing cable and activation hazards | |||
| 4 | Select appropriate settings for procedure (cut vs coagulation) | Observed | Selects incorrect mode or inappropriate power settings without verification | Selects the correct mode and power setting appropriate for the planned procedure and confirms settings before use | Independently selects appropriate settings, explains the rationale, and performs an effective cross-check with the surgical team | |||
| 5 | Inspect and prepare grounding pad | Observed | Fails to inspect equipment, misses obvious defects, or creates unsafe setup conditions | Correctly inspects the grounding pad and prepares an appropriate application site with no major safety concerns | Thoroughly evaluates all risk factors and demonstrates exemplary site selection and preparation | |||
| 6 | Apply grounding pad to patient | Observed | Incorrect placement, poor adhesion, wrinkles, partial contact, or placement over unsafe anatomy | Correctly assesses the patient and grounding pad; applies pad on an appropriate site with intact skin and adequate contact | Applies pad flawlessly while proactively preventing displacement, moisture exposure, and pressure-related issues | |||
| 7 | Connect grounding pad to ESU unit | Observed | Connection is loose, incorrect, or creates tension that may compromise pad contact | Correctly connects the return electrode and routes cables safely | Demonstrates optimal cable management, connection security, and protection against inadvertent disconnection | |||
| 8 | Perform safety test if unit has self-test feature | Observed | Omits safety check or ignores alarms and fault indicators | Completes self-test appropriately and responds correctly to alarms or warnings | Performs comprehensive readiness verification and demonstrates excellent troubleshooting skills when faults occur | |||
| 9 | Holster handpiece and organize cables safely | Observed | Handpiece left unsecured, cables create hazards, or risk of accidental activation exists | Handpiece safely holstered and cables organized appropriately | Creates an exceptionally safe and organized environment that minimizes activation, burn, and trip hazards | |||
| 10 | Confirm entire system is ready before incision | Observed | Fails to perform final readiness assessment or misses significant safety concerns | Performs complete final readiness check and confirms safe setup before use | Conducts a thorough, systematic readiness review that identifies and corrects potential hazards before activation |
| Authors | Ian-laurel |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Organizations | SELF, ECSACONM |
| Cite as | "SELF/Perioperative Nursing/Electro-Surgical Units/Psychomotor Skills Practice Assessment". Appropedia. 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026. |