CMS-10467 GNE Qualitative Data Collection Protocols for Second In-

EVALUATION OF THE GRADUATE NURSE EDUCATION
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION PROTOCOLS FOR
SECOND IN-PERSON SITE VISIT

(Contract No. CMMI-393-2012-0117)

February 25, 2013

GNE Evaluation Qualitative Data Collection Protocols – Time 3 Site Visit 2.25.13

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Interview Guide: GNE Project
strategic planning team
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each
section
(in minutes)
5
8
30
15
2

Topic
Introduction
Changes to demonstration project
Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators
Perceived return on investment and sustainability
plans
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of
section
(in minutes)
5
13
43
58
60

Introduction (5 minutes)
The purpose of this interview is to discuss your ongoing activities related to the GNE
Demonstration Project, including challenges, successful strategies, perceived outcomes, and
sustainability plans.
This interview will last approximately 60 minutes.
As with our first site visit and with your approval, we will record audio of the discussion to assist
with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this recording.
This interview will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.
In the final report, the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an aggregate
manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular individuals.
You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could attribute
specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told me
anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information so it cannot be linked to you.

GNE Evaluation Qualitative Data Collection Protocols – Time 3 Site Visit 2.25.13

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Do you have any questions for me before we begin?
Okay, let’s get started.

Changes to the GNE Demonstration Project (8 minutes)
I’d like to begin by discussing any key changes to the demonstration project since the last time
we spoke.
1. Have there been any changes to the process for coordinating students’ clinical
placements?
• If yes, tell me about those changes.
• What prompted those changes?
2. Have there been any key staffing changes?
o If yes, tell me about those changes.
3. Are there any organizations that are no longer participating in the demonstration project?
• If yes, which organizations are no longer participating?
• What made these organizations decide not to continue their participation?
4. Are there any new partners in the demonstration project?
• If yes, who are the new organizations?
• How did these organizations become involved in the demonstration project?
5. Are there any organizations that increased or decreased the number of preceptors?
• If applicable, which organizations increased the number of preceptors?
• If applicable, which organizations decreased the number of preceptors?
6. Since we last spoke, what, if any, changes to policy or procedure has your organization
made to support the demonstration project?

Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators (30 minutes)
7. What, if any, outcomes do you feel you have achieved through the demonstration
project?
• How do you think this program has benefited your organization?
• What are the benefits of this project?
• To what extent did the demonstration project result in the outcomes you desired?
• If no outcomes or benefits were achieved, why do you think this project has not
benefited your organization?
8. What components of your demonstration project have allowed you to be successful in
achieving the goals you set out to accomplish?
9. What are the most difficult challenges you have faced in implementing the demonstration
project?
• What made those challenges so difficult?

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•

What components of the demonstration project have created challenges to achieving the
goals you set out to accomplish?
10. If you had to start over from the beginning, what would you do differently knowing what you
now know?
11. If you had to give advice to other organizations considering similar programs, what advice
would you give?

Perceived return on investment and sustainability plans (15 minutes)
12. To what extent do you think that the investments you have made to support the
demonstration project have paid off?
• Has it been worth it?
• What, if at all, do you see as the business case for expanding the number of APRN
clinical placement opportunities?
13. In what ways, if any, will you sustain the GNE Demonstration Project activities beyond grant
funding?
• If sustaining activities, what resources or investments will be necessary to sustain them?
• Where will those resources or investments come from?
• If not sustaining activities, what makes the project unsustainable?
14. If you could redesign the GNE Demonstration Project for the future, what changes would
you suggest to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services?

Conclusion (2 minutes)
15. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?
16. Are there any areas covered by this interview that you are particularly concerned about
having your identity connected with? If so, which ones?

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Interview Guide: SON
administration
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each
section
(in minutes)
5
8
30
15
2

Topic
Introduction
Changes to demonstration project
Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators
Perceived return on investment and sustainability
plans
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of
section
(in minutes)
5
13
43
58
60

Introduction (5 minutes)
The purpose of this interview is to discuss your ongoing activities related to the GNE
Demonstration Project, including challenges, successful strategies, perceived outcomes, and
sustainability plans.
This interview will last approximately 60 minutes.
As with our first site visit and with your approval, we will record audio of the discussion to assist
with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this recording.
This interview will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.
In the final report, the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an aggregate
manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular individuals.
You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could attribute
specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told me
anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information so it cannot be linked to you.

GNE Evaluation Qualitative Data Collection Protocols – Time 3 Site Visit 2.25.13

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Do you have any questions for me before we begin?
Okay, let’s get started.

Changes to the Nursing program or GNE Demonstration Project (8
minutes)
I’d like to begin by discussing any key changes to the demonstration project since the last time
we spoke.
•

•

•
•

Have there been any changes to the nursing program overall?
o For example, have there been changes to student enrollment, course offerings,
specific curriculum, or staffing?
Have there been any changes to the process for coordinating students’ clinical
placements?
• If yes, tell me about those changes.
• What prompted those changes?
Have there been any key staffing changes made to support the demonstration project?
o If yes, tell me about those changes.
Since we last spoke, what, if any, changes to policy or procedure has your organization
made to support the demonstration project?

Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators (30 minutes)
4. What, if any, outcomes do you feel you have achieved through the demonstration
project?
• How do you think this program has benefited your organization?
• What are the benefits of this project?
• To what extent did the demonstration project result in the outcomes you desired?
• If no outcomes or benefits were achieved, why do you think this project has not
benefited your organization?
5. What components of your demonstration project have allowed you to be successful in
achieving the goals you set out to accomplish?
6. What are the most difficult challenges you have faced in implementing your
demonstration project?
• What made those challenges so difficult?
• What components of your demonstration project have created challenges to achieving
the goals you set out to accomplish?
7. If you had to start over from the beginning, what would you do differently knowing what you
now know?

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8. If you had to give advice to other organizations considering similar programs, what advice
would you give?

Perceived return on investment and sustainability plans (15 minutes)
9. To what extent do you think that the investments you have made to support the
demonstration project have paid off?
• Has it been worth it?
• What, if at all, do you see as the business case for expanding the number of APRN
clinical placement opportunities?
10. In what ways, if any, will you sustain the GNE Demonstration Project activities beyond
grant funding?
• If sustaining activities, what resources or investments will be necessary to sustain
these activities?
• Where will those resources or investments come from?
• If not sustaining activities, what makes the project unsustainable?
11. If you could redesign the GNE Demonstration Project for the future, what changes would
you suggest to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services?

Conclusion (2 minutes)
12. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?
13. Are there any areas covered by this interview that you are particularly concerned about
having your identity connected with? If so, which ones?

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Focus Group Guide: Clinical
faculty
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each
section
(in minutes)
5
5
60
15
5

Topic
Introduction
Changes to the demonstration project
Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators
Perceived return on investment and perspectives
on sustainability
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of
section
(in minutes)
5
10
70
85
90

Introduction (5 minutes)
The purpose of this interview is to discuss your ongoing activities related to the GNE
Demonstration Project, including the challenges you have faced and the strategies you have used
to overcome these challenges.
This focus group will last approximately 90 minutes.
As with our first site visit and with your approval, we will record audio of the discussion to assist
with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this recording.
This focus group will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.
In the final report, the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an aggregate
manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular individuals.
You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could attribute
specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told me
anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information so it cannot be linked to you.
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Do you have any questions for me before we begin?

Changes to the GNE Demonstration Project (5 minutes)
I’d like to begin by discussing any key changes to the demonstration project since the last time
we spoke.
1. Have there been any changes to the process for coordinating students’ clinical
placements?
• If yes, tell me about those changes.
• What prompted those changes?
2. Since we last spoke, what, if any, changes to policy or procedure has your organization
made to support the demonstration project?

Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators (60 minutes)
3. What milestones or successes have you achieved so far?
4. What components of the demonstration project do you think facilitated the achievement
of these successes?
• How did these components facilitate success?
5. Did the demonstration seem to affect your faculty workload in any way? If so, what was
the change? Was it positive or negative? Please describe how this demonstration affected
your work.
6. What are the key challenges you have faced related to your role and responsibility in the
demonstration project?
7. Were you able to overcome these challenges?
• If yes, how so?
• If no, what made it difficult to overcome these challenges?
8. If you had to start over from the beginning, what would you do differently knowing what
you now know?
9. If you had to give advice to other organizations considering similar programs, what
advice would you give?

Perceived return on investment and perspectives on sustainability (15
minutes)
10. To what extent do you think that the investments your organization has made to support
the demonstration project have paid off?
• Has it been worth it?
• In general, what do you see as the benefits of the project?

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•

What do you see as the benefits to expanding the number of APRN clinical placement
opportunities?
11. How likely do you think it is that your organization will sustain the GNE Demonstration
Project activities beyond grant funding?
• What makes you say that it will be {likely/unlikely} to sustain these activities?
12. If you could redesign the GNE Demonstration Project for the future, what changes would
you suggest to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services?

Conclusion (5 minutes)
13. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?
14. Are there any areas covered by this interview that you are particularly concerned about
having your identity connected with? If so, which ones?

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Focus Group Guide: APRN
students
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each section
(minutes)
5
5
30
35
10
5

Topic
Introduction
Participant introductions
Placement in clinical rotations
Clinical training experiences
Education and career goals
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of section
(minutes)
5
10
40
75
85
90

Introduction (5 minutes)
My name is {name of AIR moderator}, and I am with the American Institutes for Research. This
is {name of Optimal note-taker}, who is with Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal). As
{name of GNE awardee liaison} probably told you, the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
and Optimal are the contractors responsible for evaluating the Graduate Nurse Education
Demonstration Project.
The overall goals of the evaluation are to characterize the demonstration project, identify the
challenges and successes of implementation, assess the outcomes, and evaluate the potential for
sustainability, improvement, and replication of its outcomes.
As the students in schools participating in the GNE demonstration, your experiences and
perspectives are of great value to our evaluation.
This focus group will last 90 minutes. With your approval, we will record audio of the discussion
to assist with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this
recording.
In the final report, the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an aggregate
manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular individuals.
You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could attribute

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specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told me
anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information so it cannot be linked to you.
This interview will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.
Do you have any questions for me before we begin?

Participant introductions (5 minutes)
To get started, let’s go around and introduce ourselves. Please tell us your name, what program
you are in, whether you are choosing a specialty, and when you anticipate that you will be
graduating.
{Allow participants to introduce themselves}
Thank you. It is nice to meet all of you.

Placement in clinical rotations (30 minutes)
1. Tell me how your organization matches students with preceptors for clinical training
experiences.
• What is the process?
• Are you asked for your preferences for types of preceptors or settings? If so, how are
your preferences obtained?
2. What do you like about the process?
3. What don’t you like about the process?
• What challenges have you faced?
• What changes would you make?
4. To what extent have you received clinical assignments that match your interests?
5. What do you think about expanding the clinical placement opportunities for students?
• Do you think it is necessary or helpful?
• If yes, what makes you think so?
• If no, what makes you think so?

Clinical training experiences (35 minutes)
6. Tell me about your most recent clinical rotation experience.
• What type of organization were you in?
• Was your preceptor a doctor or an APRN?
• How closely did your preceptor work with you?
• What did you like about it?
• What didn’t you like about it?
• How would you rate the quality of training you received?
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7. Tell me about your most positive clinical rotation experience.
• What made it the most positive experience?
8. Tell me about your worst clinical rotation experience.
• What made it the worst experience?
9. Overall, how satisfied are you with your clinical placements?
• For example:
o the distance of your placement?
o the amount of one-on-one attention from preceptors?
o your involvement in the placement process?

Conclusion (5 minutes)
10. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Interview Guide: Clinical
placement coordinators
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each
section
(in minutes)
3
5
30
5
2

Topic
Introduction
Changes to the demonstration project
Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators
Perspectives on sustainability
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of
section
(in minutes)
3
8
38
43
45

Introduction (3 minutes)
The purpose of this interview is to discuss your ongoing activities related to the GNE
Demonstration Project, including the challenges you have faced and the strategies you have used
to overcome these challenges.
This interview will last about 45 minutes.
As with our first site visit and with your approval, we will record audio of the discussion to assist
with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this recording.
This interview will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.
In the final report, the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an aggregate
manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular individuals.
You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could attribute
specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told me
anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information so it cannot be linked to you.
Do you have any questions for me before we begin?

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Changes to the GNE Demonstration Project (5 minutes)
The purpose of this interview is to discuss your ongoing activities related to the demonstration
project, including the challenges you have faced and the strategies you have used to overcome
these challenges. I’d like to begin by discussing any key changes to the demonstration project
since the last time we spoke.
1. Have there been any changes to the process for coordinating students’ clinical
placements?
• If yes, tell me about those changes.
• What prompted those changes?
2. Since we last spoke, what, if any, changes to policy or procedure has your organization
made to support the demonstration project?

Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators (30 minutes)
3. What milestones or successes have you achieved so far?
4. What components of the demonstration project do you think facilitated the achievement
of these successes?
• How did these components facilitate success?
5. What are the key challenges you have faced related to your role and responsibility in the
demonstration project?
6. Were you able to overcome these challenges?
• If yes, how so?
• If no, what made it difficult to overcome these challenges?
7. Did the demonstration seem to affect your workload? If so, was it in a positive or
negative way? Please describe any changes to your workload.
8. If you had to start over from the beginning, what would you do differently knowing what
you now know?
9. If you had to give advice to other organizations considering similar programs, what
advice would you give?

Perceived sustainability (5 minutes)
10. How likely do you think it is that your organization will sustain the GNE Demonstration
Project activities beyond grant funding?
• What makes you say that it will be {likely/unlikely} to sustain these activities?
11. If you could redesign the GNE Demonstration Project for the future, what changes would
you suggest to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services?

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Conclusion (2 minutes)
12. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?
13. Are there any areas covered by this interview that you are particularly concerned about
having your identity connected with? If so, which ones?

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Interview Guide: Preceptors
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each section
(in minutes)
5
5
10
35
5

Topic
Introduction
Interviewee background
History as a preceptor
Preceptor experiences
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of section
(in minutes)
5
10
20
55
60

Introduction (5 minutes)
My name is {name of AIR moderator}, and I am with the American Institutes for Research. This
is {name of Optimal note-taker}, who is with Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal). As
{name of GNE awardee liaison} probably told you, the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
and Optimal are the contractors responsible for evaluating the Graduate Nurse Education
Demonstration Project.
The overall goals of the evaluation are to characterize the demonstration project, identify the
challenges and successes of implementation, assess the outcomes, and evaluate the potential for
sustainability, improvement, and replication of its outcomes.
As a preceptor, your experiences and perspectives are of great value to our evaluation.
This interview will last 1 hour. With your approval, we will record audio of the discussion to
assist with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this recording.
This interview will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.
In the final report, the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an aggregate
manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular individuals.
You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could attribute
specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told me

GNE Evaluation Qualitative Data Collection Protocols – Time 3 Site Visit 2.25.13

17

anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information so it cannot be linked to you.
Do you have any questions for me before we begin?

Interviewee background (5 minutes)
1. What is your title? (Physician? APRN? Primary care? Specialist?)
2. How long have you been with this organization?

History as a preceptor (10 minutes)
3. How long have you been a preceptor?
4. Tell me about when you were first approached to become a preceptor.
• Who approached you?
• What were your initial thoughts? Were you eager, reluctant, interested?
• What was the administrative process that you went through to become a preceptor? Did
you or your organization need to sign contracts? Has this process changed over time in
the last year or two?
5. What made you decide to become a preceptor?
6. Have you participated in any preceptor training?
• If yes, tell me about that training.
• Who delivered the training?
• What was the length of the training?
• What was the format of the training? Was it written documentation? Or was it a
presentation format of some other type?
• What were the main components?
• How well do you think that training prepared you to be an effective preceptor?

Preceptor experiences (35 minutes)
7. Tell me about your most recent preceptor experience.
• What type of nursing student were you training?
• What did you like about the experience?
• What didn’t you like about the experience?
• How would you rate the skills and preparedness of the student you were training?
8. Tell me about your experience in working with the faculty member(s) who work with the
clinical course.
• How involved are faculty in the practicum experiences?
• What does this faculty member do to coordinate with you?
• Does he or she make visits to your clinical site? If so, how often and for how long?
• Has this process changed over time? If so, in what way?

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9. Tell me about your most positive preceptor experience.
• What made it the most positive experience?
10. Tell me about your worst preceptor experience.
• What made it the worst experience?
11. In general, what do you like about precepting?
12. What don’t you like about precepting?
13. Do you intend to continue precepting in the future?
• If yes, what makes you want to continue to precept?
• If no, what makes you not want to continue to precept?
14. How does precepting seem to affect your own clinical practice?
• Does it make it difficult to keep a desired pace with seeing patients? Does it affect
your efficiency?
• Does it enhance your practice in any way?
15. Do you get compensated in any way for precepting?
• If yes, how does this affect your interest in continuing to precept?

Conclusion (5 minutes)
16. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?
17. Were there any areas covered by this interview that you are particularly concerned about
having your identity connected with? If so, which ones?

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Interview Guide: Director of
Nursing or clinical director
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each
section
(in minutes)
5
5
30
15
5

Topic
Introduction
Changes to the demonstration project
Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators
Perceived return on investment and sustainability
plans
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of
section
(in minutes)
5
10
40
55
60

Introduction (5 minutes)
The purpose of this interview is to discuss your ongoing activities related to the GNE
Demonstration Project, including the challenges you have faced, success strategies, perceived
outcomes, and perspectives on sustainability.
This interview will last 60 minutes.
As with our first site visit and with your approval, we will record audio of the discussion to assist
with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this recording.
This interview will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.
In the final report, all the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an
aggregate manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular
individuals. You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could
attribute specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told
me anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information so it cannot be linked to you.
Do you have any questions for me before we begin?

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Changes to the demonstration project (5 minutes)
I’d like to begin by discussing any key changes to the demonstration project since the last time
we spoke.
1. Have there been any changes to the process for coordinating students’ clinical
placements?
• If yes, tell me about those changes.
• What prompted those changes?
2. Since we last spoke, what, if any, changes to policy or procedure has your organization
made to support the demonstration project?

Outcomes, barriers, and facilitators (30 minutes)
3. What, if any, outcomes do you feel you have achieved through the demonstration
project?
• How do you think this program has benefited your organization?
• What are the benefits of this project?
• To what extent did the demonstration project result in the outcomes you desired?
• If no outcomes or benefits were achieved, why do you think this project has not
benefited your organization?
4. What components of your demonstration project have allowed you to be successful in
achieving the goals you set out to accomplish?
5. What are the most difficult challenges you have faced in implementing your
demonstration project?
• What made those challenges so difficult?
6. What components of your demonstration project have created challenges to achieving the
goals you set out to accomplish?
7. If you had to start over from the beginning, what would you do differently knowing what
you now know?
8. If you had to give advice to other organizations considering similar programs, what
advice would you give?

Perceived return on investment and sustainability plans (15 minutes)
9. To what extent do you think that the investments you have made to support the
demonstration project have paid off?
• Has it been worth it?
• What, if at all, do you see as the business case for expanding the number of APRN
clinical placement opportunities?
10. In what ways, if any, will you sustain the GNE Demonstration Project activities beyond grant
funding?

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•

If sustaining activities, what resources or investments will be necessary to sustain these
activities?
• Where will those resources or investments come from?
• If not sustaining activities, what makes the project unsustainable?
11. If you could redesign the GNE Demonstration Project for the future, what changes would
you suggest to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services?

Conclusion (5 minutes)
12. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?
13. Are there any areas covered by this interview that you are particularly concerned about
having your identity connected with? If so, which ones?

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Graduate Nurse Education Evaluation
Time 3 Interview Guide: Chief financial
officer
Obtain informed consent

Have interviewee read and sign the informed consent form. Give interviewee an unsigned copy
of the form to keep for his or her records.

Outline with timings
Time in each section
(minutes)
5
3
10
10
2

Topic
Introduction
Interviewee background
Investments related to the GNE
Demonstration Project
Perceived return on investment
and sustainability plans
Conclusion

Elapsed time at end of section
(minutes)
5
8
18
28
30

Introduction (5 minutes)
My name is {name of AIR moderator}, and I am with the American Institutes for Research. This
is {name of Optimal note-taker}, who is with Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal). As
{name of GNE awardee liaison} probably told you, the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
and Optimal are the contractors responsible for evaluating the Graduate Nurse Education
Demonstration Project.
The overall goals of the evaluation are to characterize the demonstration project, identify the
challenges and successes of implementation, assess the outcomes, and evaluate the potential for
sustainability, improvement, and replication of its outcomes.
As the {title and/or role in demonstration project}, your experiences and perspectives are of
great value to our evaluation.
This interview will last 30 minutes. With your approval, we will record audio of the discussion to
assist with note-taking. No one outside the evaluation team will have access to this recording.
This interview will work best if you do most of the talking. Feel free to speak openly and
candidly about your experiences and perspectives regarding this demonstration.

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In the final report, the data gathered through these interviews will be presented in an aggregate
manner, highlighting informational points from specific sites and not from particular individuals.
You will not be identified by name. However, it is possible that someone could attribute
specific comments to you. Hence, at the end of the interview, I’ll ask whether you told me
anything that you wouldn’t want associated with you. If so, we will structure and present the
information such that it cannot be linked to you.
Do you have any questions for me before we begin?

Interviewee Background (3 minutes)
1.
2.
3.
4.

What is your title?
How long have you been with this organization?
What are your main responsibilities in your position?
What are your main responsibilities in the GNE Demonstration Project, if different or more
specific than your overall position?
5. What percentage of your FTE is dedicated to the GNE Demonstration Project?

Investments related to the GNE Demonstration Project (10 minutes)
6. What are the key investments your organization has made to support the demonstration
project?
• What are the main costs associated with your participation in the training
program?
• What costs will not be recouped via the demonstration funding?
• Where did the funding for these investments come from?

Perceived return on investment and sustainability plans (10 minutes)
7. To what extent do you think that the investments you have made to support the
demonstration project have paid off?
• Has it been worth it?
• What, if at all, do you see as the business case for expanding the number of APRN
clinical placement opportunities?
8. Did this demonstration create additional work for you or your staff that seemed excessive?
• If yes, do you have any suggestions for streamlining the required reporting or related
work?
9. How financially viable would it be for your organization to sustain GNE Demonstration
Project activities beyond grant funding?
• If financially viable, what resources or investments will be necessary to sustain these
activities?
• Where will those resources or investments come from?

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• If not financially viable, what makes the project unsustainable?
• What would it take to make the project financially viable?
10. If you could redesign the GNE Demonstration Project for the future, what changes would
you suggest to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services?

Conclusion (2 minutes)
11. Is there anything that I did not ask about that you would like to share with me, or do you
have any additional thoughts about what we have discussed today?
12. Are there any areas covered by this interview that you are particularly concerned about
having your identity connected with? If so, which ones?

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