TESTIMONIALS MAILED IN
2021
" Happy New Year!"...
2020
"We have been utilizing the BKAT consistently for the past three years. We have found great benefit in using this assessment tool to determine progress in new graduate nurses and experienced nurses..." Marlene - Temple, Texas.
"I used the BKAT years ago and the exam showed me the nurse,s weak areas which gave me the direction on how to develop his education and training at hire." Lana - Hot Sprints, Florida.
"Thanks for all of your work on the BKAT. Excited to see Version 3 for ED." Pete - Univ. Minn.
"Thank you again for all the work you have done to help us meet the needs of our nurses." Amy - Jacksonville, Florida.
"Thank you so much for sending the BKATs...they are extremely well done. My hope is to be able to use them...to get a sense of what they know with our new hires...and where their weaknesses are." Aina - Bend, Oregon.
2019
"..to order a copy of your BKAT exams as they have been incredibly helpful..." Ken - Millville, NJ.
"Hope you are doing well! ...I am hoping to assess knowledge gaps. Thank you for your continued work o this very important assessment tool! " Michelle - State of Washington.
"It has been 8 years of great BKAT utilization in our acute care areas ...thanks so much for your enormous contributions to the science and practice of nursing." Reggie - Durhan, Virginia.
"I am the Learning Manager of our Nursing Fellowships for a large hospital system...I am impressed at the comprehensive nature of the BKAT tests...a special thanks for your continued contribution in the profession of nursing." Katie, Ohio.
'"A few years ago I [ordered] the ED-BKAT2 and the PEDS-ED BKAT to help with orientation. These have been wonderful tools and have really been put to use in helping us determine where more education is needed." Nicole, Michigan.
2018
"I am CNO of a small...hospital and my budget is small. I have used your BKAT tests in the past to assist with...educational needs. This has allowed me to direct my budget dollars in the best direction. I have also found the tests cn be a self motivational tool as well as giving me a basic oveall assessment of my team", West Virginia.
"Thank you so much for developing this (the BKATs). I really think it benefits nurses in being able to undersand their learning needs." Washington, DC.
"I have read your articles. I have taken your BKATtest and used your BKAT tests as an educator. I am a firm believer in the test as a way to make an orientation program better provide an individual education plan for a staff member or to develop a unit education plan". Texas.
2017
R.R. writes from Mississippi "I thank you very much for making this tool avaiable to RNs for the betterment of our profession. As a critical care RN and mentor/educator, it is my intent to use this exam to further the examination of my own knowledge base as well as those I mentor. Your contributions are greatly appreciated."
"Thank you for your dedication and your longtime contributbution to advancing nursing practice". New York.
"We have heard and seen wonderful results with the use of BKAT and feel that the ED here...would get a lot out of using this assessment exam for our new nurses". Army Nurse Corps in North Carolina.
" I am associate professor of Child Health (PICU) nursing in England and (work with) the President of the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care. I am interested in your (PICU-BKAT6r) tool to examine PICU nurses knowledge across European PICUs." England
"I am the educator on the floor. Thank you for creating and sharing this valuable tool." Florida
"Thank you so much for this wonderul tool...One of my colleques...said nothing but wonderful things about your assessment tool before her passing." Modesto, CA.
"Having taken over the critical care units here...I am working to standardize the skill and knowledge levels of the nurses I have inherited. A colleague directed me to your site and I just wanted to say thank you for the work you have put into this and the mission you are supporting." Lynwood, CA.
2016
A nurse educator writes "I have used your critical care BKAT for our intensive care classes and have documented learning in multiple new gra so much for this wonderful tooll...One of my collegues...said nothing byt wonderful things about your assessment tool beforeher passing." duates nurse residency courses". [Now], "I'd like to use your med-surg BKAT...as a baseline from which to plan individual education plans for our PACU staff".
"Thanks for your efforts and the huge impact this tool has made to our profession as a method for quantifying knowledge and the impact of education sessions." L Flynn, Director of Education, Arkansas. (3/4/16)
Another educator writes “thank you for your great work with these exams. I have used them throughout my career in education. They are an absolutely fabulous tool!” D Stace, Clinical Educator from Wisconsin. (1/11/16)
2015
An EdS graduate from Liberty University used the BKAT-8 in her dissertation research. She writes, "thank you again for allowing me the use of the BKAT-8..". S Akers, (11/4/15).
I am interested in...the test for ICU, MED-SURG, and ED. I heard great things about the tests and how well they gauge the learning needs of... staff. J Martin, Clinical Education Manager. (7/8/15)
I received your packet and am so excited to give the exam to the RNs. Thank-you for allowing us to participate in this exciting research. M Kelly, Perinatal Clinical Educator. (7/2/15)
Thank you for all the work you have completed for nursing! M LaTour, Education Specialist. (6/8/15)
We ...utilize the test as a pre and post orientation exam to focus on what the individual nurse's strengths and weaknesses are [and] ...look at the scores to reflect the effectiveness of the orientation we provide. R Crum, Director, Employee Education/Staff Development. (6/7/15)
A Director of Emergency Services wrote, "I have used the ED-BKAT in several ERs [where] I have been employed. It is an excellent tool to assess the learning needs of the ER. R Chisolllm, NC. (4/19/15)
A Director of Nursing Education, Research & Innovation wrote, "thank you for your work in helping us support the education and growth of our nurses". K Collopy, NH. (2/5/15)
2014
An MSN writes, "we are doing a gap analysis in the ICU and cath lab. It will be interesting to see where we stand...You have been a great resource for many years." J Lunebach, Presence Health. (8/2/14)
A CCRN writes, "thank you for all your incredible work over the many years with the development and revisions to the BKAT. This has been an incredible tool...to help nurses all over the United States and beyond." S Alsup, Ohio. (7/31/14).
I am inquiring about the BKAT...the exam comes highly recommended by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses in regards to the Essentials of Critical Care Orientation Program that we started here. S Townsey, Assistant Nurse Manager/Educator. (6/17/14)
...been using your BKAT for several years to validate the knowledge of our newly hired experienced critical care and progressive care nurses...We love the BKAT and really find it helpful. E Gramke, Clinical Educator. (6/5/14)
...I went over the results with each participant...and again, the BKAT really helps identify areas of strengths and weaknesses.
P Nietrzeba, Critical Care Education Specialist. (5/30/14)
The PICU-BKAT6 has been a long standing component of our orientation process and we would like to obtain access to the latest version. B Weaver. (2/11/14)
2013
I would like to [order] the updated BKAT8S...as a tool to help me identify orientation needs for the experienced nurses we hire in our MICU. F Sterckx, Nurse Educator. (10/24/13)
Is it possible to [use] the BKAT...in a BSN nursing program? I have used the critical care BKAT in a previous role as critical care educator and it is a wonderful tool in the hospital setting.
C Bradley, Assistant Professor of Nursing. (9/3/13).
...request permission to photcopy and use the Basic Knowledge AssessmentTool (BKAT) Medical Surgical...to measure pre and post program learning. P Davis, Director of Nursing Education. (7/10/13)
[I saw] in the May 2013 Journal of Emergency Nursing p. 238 your article about the new updated ED-BKAT2. I support all the work you have done for BKAT. I have used your Adult ICU BKAT now in a couple of our new RN grad ICU residency programs..[and] the PICU. HA Allison. Nurse Educator. (6/09/13)
Thank you so much... I am the Director of an ER in New Mexico and also do much of the education here. This tool is great! Read about it in my recent JEN mag. L Strada, Nursing Education. (6/12/13)
It was with great excitement as I read your article in the Journal of Emergency Nursing this week on developing the revised adult ED-BKAT2! Our ED Educators...have utilized the ED-BKAT for years and have found the tool very helpful in identifying the educational needs of experienced nurses hired into our department. L Schanne, Clinical Nurse Educator. (6/13/13)
I am a clinical educator [in CA]. I...received information from MH in Boston referring me to you in search of the BKAT8. I have used the ...BKAT in the past for a group of NICU nurses and found it invaluable. C Abbate, Clinical Educator. (5/24/13)
I just received the BKAT today. It is great!...Thank you for your assistance and thanks for helping nurse educators. I am so excited that there is a specific BKAT for Adult ED. I am going to encourage our Children's ED Nurse Educator to [order] the pediatric ED specialty BKAT. P Wilburn, Nurse Educator. (4/04/13)
I would like to order the ED-BKAT. I have used four of your other tests with very good results. P Conover, Educator. (3/27/13)
I am the new Director of Nursing Education...in PA. I was looking at your website and I saw that you are seeking assistance in your reliability testing phase of the BKAT exam for the ICU. P Nichols, Director of Nursing Education. (3/25/13)
I am a Clinical Unit Educator at a Level 1 Trauma Center...I recently attended a leadership conference and heard several testimonials of educators who are utilizing the BKAT. I am writing to obtain information on how to order this product. K Hamrick, Clinical Unit Educator. (3/05/13)
I am a CNS in the NICU...[in Michigan]. We are in the process of revising our orientation program. I was thinking of using your BKAT test to help determine how well our program prepares the nurses and what changes (if any) we should make in the program. I thank you for your time and all your work on this valuable subject area. C Adams, CAN, NICU. (2/18/13)
Your work is remarkable. Our insitution uses the BKAT and it is so helpful to plan for educational needs. A Flores, Clinical Education Specialist. (1/29/13)
2012
I am interested in being a data collector for the PICU-BKAT6...I work with all new hires in our pediatric ICU and CVICU and have a steady influx of new hires in these areas. J Carraher, Clinical Development Specialist. (11/28/12)
I currently use the latest version (BKAT-8S) of the PCU BKAT to individualize my orientation for my new hires. I find it extremely valuable in determining length of orientation and depth of knowledge. L Marder, Clinical Nurse Specialist. (8/13/12)
I would love to have it [BKAT] for the next group of new grads. I am a new educator and making up my own test does not seem in the new grads best interest. M Cardoza, Nursing Educator. (8/08/12)
I'm a student...in South Africa. ...May I please use the BKAT test... L-A Coutinho, Nursing Student. (7/30/12)
I am a PhD student...and am enrolled in a course called evaluation methods...I had taken the BKAT at my institution and was impressed by it. Thus, I am using the BKAT for one of my assignments...thank you for all you do for our profession.
J Jordan, Student. (4/11/12)
...I would like to express my sincere thanks to you for sharing your excellent work... J Connelly, Nurse Educator. (4/06/12)
...I am planning on using the BKAT test as a part of our orientation process to help identify areas that need to be a strong focus...in the ED. I...took the BKAT exam many years ago as a new ER nurse and found it encouraging that I was successful with the exam. [Now], I am placing an order... M Kercholl, Clinical Nurse Educator. (4/03/12)
...working with the Critical Care High Observation staff to identify education opportunities for individuals, and your tool is extremely helpfull in identifying learning opportunities. Thank you.
C McKay, Chief Clinical Officer. (2/21/12)
I have been using the ED-BKAT ...for a few years now...Thank you for such great work! C McKay, Chief Nursing Officer. (2/20/12)
I've been on the website and I'm so proud to see my name there [as a data collector for the PEDS-ED BKAT]. K Kilrain, Pediatric Clinical Educator. (2/15/12)
Thank you for allowing...[us] in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to be a part of your project. We have used your BKAT testing in
Peds ICU, step-down units, and critical care units. We have found it to be a valuable tool in evaluation and educating our nurses.
P Fischer, Critical Care Nurse Educator. (2/7/12)
I have used the BKAT for many years...to assess the knowledge base of my new nurses at the end of their orientation and for existing nursing staff. It is a reliable indicator of areas of deficit for the nurse(s). R Norton, Clinical Leader. (2/6/12)
I am a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit...I also work in our Emergency Department and have used the Emergency BKAT for new staff. It has been very helpful for us in finding areas to work on with our new staff. G Clark, ED Educator. (1/28/12)
2011
[We] have used the Critical Care RN BKAT as a knowledge assessment tool for new hire...RNs for many, many years. I recently heard there is now a Medical Surgical BKAT and would like more information about it. S Beard, Educational Specialist. (12/6/11)
I will talk with my colleagues and discuss how to use this wonderful tool [PICU-BKAT6 in development]. A Layman, Education Coordinator and potential data collector for the new PICU-BKAT6.
(12/6/11)
I have used BKAT-7 previously and it was extremely helpful in identifying areas in need of education. Thank you! S Fick, (10/27/11)
I have used this tool before and I am always amazed at how it just pinpoints what areas the staff member needs. Really helps to save time as you can just focus on the deficient areas and get them up to speed. E Horton, Nurse Educator (9/26/11)
The BKAT-8S: Thank you for such a wonderful tool and your support of the nursing profession. LCDR C Pappalardo, Clinical Nurse Specialist (9/16/11)
I saw a discussion on the CNS website this week and was very excited to see this tool. How wonderful! L Mayo, Nurse Patient Educator (9/6/11)
I think these tests are wonderful tools and appreciate your creating and delivering them. L A Clark, Education Coordinator (9/7/11)
Thank you for creating the BKAT as a means of identifying educational needs for staff new to critical care. We appreciated its usefulness in determining classes and learning needs.
J Giovanneli, Clinical Practitioner (8/17/2011)
The BKAT test has been informative and fun for staff. We have discovered the differences in our novice and expert staff...it has generated discussion surrounding critical thinking and decision making. S Lee, Clinical Educator (8/4/2011)
Best wishes in your future endeavors with this tool and with your other research work. I appreciated having the opportunity to participate in this process. D Kousaie, Clinical Information Systems Specialist (7/26/2011)
I have used the BKATs for years...usually as a pre-assessment to determine what areas a new staff member needs more focus in.
M F Kaminski (8/29/2011)
The BKATs have been very helpful assessment tools for our program. N C Hendrickson, Staff Education (8/3/2011)
Thank you for providing such a wonderful service to the nursing community. V Honkus, Chest Pain Center Coordinator (7/19/2011)
We have been using the BKAT to guide our experienced nurse orientation and have found great benefit from them. L Orvis, CNS, Critical Care (5/26/2011)
I have peers who have informed me that the BKATs are quite good for identifying what baseline knowledge a new nurse may have and assisting in the development of an individualized orientation.
P N Bufeyn, Manager Education (5/23/2011)
I have used the ED-BKAT with great success: We administer it to all of our new interns prior to their start in our ED program. We use the tool for gauging both growth, and as an indicator of what might be needed or deleted from our orientation program. H Bradley, Internship Program (3/28/2011)
I really loved that on your website you said that the BKAT was dedicated to nursing. T Schaeublin (3/26/2011)
We used the PEDS-BKAT to assess knowledge of our PICU staff and then developed an educational plan that included the use of simulation. We submitted an abstract that was accepted for presentation to the International Nursing Simulation Learning Resource Conference. T G Schroder, Pediatric Educator (3/2/2011)
We have used the BKAT here for many years. Thank you so much! I am really excited to have the updated version of this test, and continue to strive for Excellence in Critical Care. D Burzynski, Education Coordinator, ICU & Acute Dialysis (2/24/2011)
It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to participate in your research. J Febbraro, Education Specialist (2/22/2011)
2010
Thank you, Dr Toth. You have done a phenomenal job with BKAT!!!! R Horwitz, Critical Care Educator (12/20/10)
I'm an Icelandic NICU nurse about to complete my master's degree in nursing. I came across an article about the Basic Knowledge Assessment Tool for neonatal intensive care nursing. Do you send it overseas? E Ogmundsdottir (1/6/11)
We are currently using the other BKAT versions which we ordered several years ago and are excited to learn that a MED-SURG BKAT has been developed. J Shakespeare, Staff Development Specialist (12/20/10)
I've used the BKATs many times in years past...as CNS in Critical Care, and thank you so much for continuing your research and updating the test. N Curdy, Director of Training & Development (12/18/10)
Dr Toth, ....thank you for developing such a wonderful tool! [ED BKAT]. N Nozicka, Clinical Educator (12/20/10)
I am requesting both the MED-SURG and Progressive Care [BKAT-8Sr] BKATs. I have been using the ED-BKAT for all my orientees and it has assisted me in tailoring their orientation.
C Wilson, Emergency Department & Ambulatory Care (12/16/10)
I am the Director of Quality Management at a community hospital...I have requested and used an earlier version of the BKAT for critical care in another facility and was pleased with the tool for use in staff development. I would like to get a valid baseline from our Med/Surg nurses to give direction for my clinical educators.
E Boehm (11/11/10)
Jean-very excited about the medical - surgical BKAT. We have [ordered] the other BKAT exams in the past and use them with our orientation and annual review. K Miller, System Clinical Education Manager (9/9/10)
I am a clinical nurse educator ...in Alaska. I would like to use the BKAT to assess 104 staff now, to assist with unit specific education. M Williams, Clinical Nurse Educator (8/1/10)
A couple of years ago we ordered the last version of the BKAT for our Intensive Care and our Progressive Care to monitor our employee's progress during orientation. We have tested at the beginning of orientation and then 6 months later and have been pleased to see an overall improvement in scores. We need to update our versions. T Smith, Supervisor Critical Care Services (7/23/10)
Hi Jean: As one of the Clinical Development Specialists at ...Children's Hospital, I administer your ED-BKAT and the PEDS-BKAT5...are there updated versions? P Torkkola (7/20/10)
I have the 2006 BKAT-7 version for Adult Critical Care. Is that the latest version? Thanks so much. Love your tool. J Seizier, Nursing Leadership Consultant (4/13/10)
Dr Toth, I have already received a copy of the PEDS-BKAT5. We love it! Thank you. P Fischer, Critical Care Nurse Educator (1/18/10)
Dear Jean Toth. I am doing my PhD study here in Finland in a study of competence in intensive and critical care nursing...I wanted to use your BKAT-7. R Lakanmaa (11/26/09)
Dr Toth,...With fascination, I read your article Follow-up Survey 10 Years Later: Use of the Basic Knowledge Assessment Tools (BKATs) for Critical Care Nursing and Effects on Staff Nurses. Thank you for writing this very informative article.
T Rooney, Critical Care Nurse Educator (11/24/09)
Hi Dr Toth, ...We really appreciate all the work you have done to give us a tool with reliability and validity. D Brady, Staff RN and CNS (11/16/09)
JT 06/10/2019
