Nursing Competencies (nursing + competency)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Pilot training program for developing disaster nursing competencies among undergraduate students in China

NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 4 2009
Samantha M. C. Pang rn
Abstract As nurses constitute the largest group of health-care providers, their readiness to respond to disasters and to participate in preparedness and disaster recovery activities will be significant for making a community more resilient against disaster. Concern is raised regarding how to build the capacity of all nurses with a knowledge base and a minimum set of skills in responding to various disasters. Drawing on the ICN Framework of Disaster Nursing Competencies and Global Standards for the Initial Education of Professional Nurses and Midwives, a training program entitled "Introduction to Disaster Nursing" was developed. Four teaching methods including action learning, problem-based learning, skill training, and lecture were used to orchestrate a series of planned activities for helping students develop the required disaster nursing competencies in a 2-week intensive training program held in Sichuan China in July 2009. The pre- and post-tests which were given to assess the students' perceived level of competencies demonstrated a significant gain in relevant knowledge and skills constituting the required competencies upon completion of the program. In the program evaluation, most students indicated their willingness and capability in disaster relief work under supervision, and they were keen to advance their competencies in the field of disaster nursing. [source]


Public Health Nursing Competencies 1953,1966: Effective and Efficient

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2007
Florence M. Weierbach
ABSTRACT The Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations developed public health nursing competencies in 2003. They are guides for determining skills at two levels, and they identify public health nurses as providing care to individuals and families or to populations and systems with the nurse having proficiency, awareness, or knowledge. The primary purpose of this paper is to discuss historical nursing roles and qualifications as judged by the 2003 competencies, including educational preparation and experience for the administrative and staff nurse. The historical exemplar for the nursing roles is a combination public/private nursing association, referred to as the partnership, that took place in 1953,1966. Primary sources include archived material from the Instructive Visiting Nurse Association, Richmond, VA. Administrative responsibilities were divided between the chief nurse and the nursing supervisors. Staff nurse responsibilities included clinic activities, home visitation, and referral coordination between health care organizations. The delineation of nursing roles demonstrates nurses' meeting the 2003 competencies. Based on the Quad Council's 2003 public health nursing competencies, the partnership nurses were competent. [source]


Comparison of the Dissemination and Implementation of Standardized Public Health Nursing Competencies in Academic and Practice Settings

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2006
B.S.N, M.S.N., Sonda Oppewal Ph.D.
ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess the use of the "Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals" standards in practice and academic work settings by public health nurses (PHNs), and to determine differences between practitioners and faculty. Design: Nonexperimental, descriptive study using a cross-sectional survey. Sample: Three public health nursing (PHN) organizations sent invitations to all members. A total of 334 (18.7%) from an estimated 1,786 members completed the survey. Measurements: The investigators developed a 17-item web-based survey with open- and closed-ended responses, using Rogers' diffusion of innovations as a theoretical framework. Results: Respondents are equally familiar with the competencies for public health professionals disseminated by the Council on Linkages and for PHNs by the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (Quad Council). Two thirds of PHNs are aware of the competencies after only 2 years, primarily from professional PHN organizations. Faculty are adopting and using the competencies at a significantly faster rate than practitioners. Conclusions: Faculty and practitioners who use the competencies value them, and rarely discontinued their use after adoption. Efforts to promote diffusion among faculty and especially practitioners need to continue. Professional organizations can actively provide and share examples of useable formats and best practices associated with the competencies. [source]


Associate and Baccalaureate Degree Final Semester Students' Perceptions of Self-Efficacy Concerning Community Health Nursing Competencies

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2000
Linda Moore Rosen D.N.Sc.
A quantitative study was undertaken to examine whether final semester associate degree nursing (ADN) and baccalaureate degree nursing (BSN) students who experienced community health nursing content perceived themselves as self-efficacious to work as community health nurses (CHNs) with individuals, families, and communities. Additionally, the study examined the variance of perceived self-efficacy (PSE) accounted for by antecedent variables, performance accomplishments (PA), vicarious experience (VE), verbal persuasion (VP), and emotional arousal (EA). Questionnaires were mailed to faculty liaisons from 34 randomly selected National League for Nursing (NLN)-accredited schools in the United States. Statistical analysis revealed that the ADN and BSN final semester students perceived themselves to be equally self-efficacious to work with individuals and families. Significant differences were found, however, between the ADN and BSN students on PSE to work with communities. PA and VE explained 15% of the PSE variance suggesting that actual and VE contributes positively to a students' PSE to work as a CHN. [source]


Commentary on Irvine F (2005) Exploring district nursing competencies in health promotion: the use of the Delphi technique.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5 2006
Journal of Clinical Nursing 1
[source]


Assessing competency in nursing: a comparison of nurses prepared through degree and diploma programmes

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 1 2005
Michael Clinton MSc
Aims and objectives., The present study aimed to investigate the competencies of qualifiers from three-year degree and three-year diploma courses in England at one, two and three years after qualification. Background., The provision of three-year preregistration nursing degrees in the UK has increased in recent years and in many colleges degrees are offered alongside the existing three-year diploma courses. Yet little is known about the relationship between these different education programmes and the competence of qualifiers. Methods., A cross-sectional survey design was employed to make comparisons of both self-reported and line-manager-rated competencies of graduate and diplomate nurses who had qualified up to three years previously. Instruments., A revised version of the Nursing Competencies Questionnaire was used to measure both overall competence and also eight specific nursing competencies. A shortened version of this scale was also used to assess internal consistency across measures. Two additional competencies, research awareness and policy awareness, were also measured. Results., Structural equation modelling found very little difference in the overall competence and specific competencies of graduates and diplomates. Where differences were found in the self-report data, diplomates scored more highly than graduates in the constructs of planning and social participation; however, these differences became non-significant when background variables were controlled for. Limitations., The findings are interpreted with caution due to the size of differences, the size of some of the samples of respondents and the developmental stage of the instrument used. Conclusions., It does not appear that graduates and diplomates in England differ in their level of competence to any great extent as measured by the Nursing Competencies Questionnaire. Areas of further work are discussed in the light of the findings. Relevance to clinical practice., While this may alleviate concerns about clinical disparities between the two groups, it raises questions about the proposed benefits to nursing of three-year preregistration degrees in terms of quality of care during the first three years of qualification. [source]


Pilot training program for developing disaster nursing competencies among undergraduate students in China

NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 4 2009
Samantha M. C. Pang rn
Abstract As nurses constitute the largest group of health-care providers, their readiness to respond to disasters and to participate in preparedness and disaster recovery activities will be significant for making a community more resilient against disaster. Concern is raised regarding how to build the capacity of all nurses with a knowledge base and a minimum set of skills in responding to various disasters. Drawing on the ICN Framework of Disaster Nursing Competencies and Global Standards for the Initial Education of Professional Nurses and Midwives, a training program entitled "Introduction to Disaster Nursing" was developed. Four teaching methods including action learning, problem-based learning, skill training, and lecture were used to orchestrate a series of planned activities for helping students develop the required disaster nursing competencies in a 2-week intensive training program held in Sichuan China in July 2009. The pre- and post-tests which were given to assess the students' perceived level of competencies demonstrated a significant gain in relevant knowledge and skills constituting the required competencies upon completion of the program. In the program evaluation, most students indicated their willingness and capability in disaster relief work under supervision, and they were keen to advance their competencies in the field of disaster nursing. [source]


Public Health Nursing Competencies 1953,1966: Effective and Efficient

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2007
Florence M. Weierbach
ABSTRACT The Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations developed public health nursing competencies in 2003. They are guides for determining skills at two levels, and they identify public health nurses as providing care to individuals and families or to populations and systems with the nurse having proficiency, awareness, or knowledge. The primary purpose of this paper is to discuss historical nursing roles and qualifications as judged by the 2003 competencies, including educational preparation and experience for the administrative and staff nurse. The historical exemplar for the nursing roles is a combination public/private nursing association, referred to as the partnership, that took place in 1953,1966. Primary sources include archived material from the Instructive Visiting Nurse Association, Richmond, VA. Administrative responsibilities were divided between the chief nurse and the nursing supervisors. Staff nurse responsibilities included clinic activities, home visitation, and referral coordination between health care organizations. The delineation of nursing roles demonstrates nurses' meeting the 2003 competencies. Based on the Quad Council's 2003 public health nursing competencies, the partnership nurses were competent. [source]


Nursing competence 10 years on: fit for practice and purpose yet?

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 10 2008
Ann Bradshaw PhD, Dip N
Aims and objectives., This paper examines how nurses are prepared to be clinically competent and safe at registration, so that they are fit for practice and purpose. It follows up two papers on competence published in 1997 and 1998 and investigates subsequent developments. Background., In 1979, major changes in nursing affected nurse education and preparation for competence. In the following two decades, it became clear that nurses lacked clinical skills. This paper examines subsequent changes and asks the question whether this crucial shortcoming has now been remedied. This paper considers the background and context of change in nursing and nurse education in the 1980s. It looks at the new ideology, to prepare the ,knowledgeable doer' and examines the consequences of the change on nursing competency from the 1990s to the present day. Methods., This is a position paper. Professional policy documents from the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and Nursing and Midwifery Council, government reports and legislation on nursing and relevant nursing literature are examined and critically analysed and conclusions drawn. Conclusions., From 1923,1977, mandatory nursing syllabuses set by the General Nursing Council of England and Wales required the registered nurse to have acquired certain specific clinical skills. These were rigorously tested to an explicit standard set by the General Nursing Council before a nurse was awarded state registration. Twenty-five years later, the loss of this system for ensuring this competence and the implications of this loss, have been widely recognised. As a result, many nurse training institutions have introduced clinical skills laboratories, simulation of practice and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination. However, to the authors' surprise and contrary to their initial expectations, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has not made these systems uniform or mandatory and so still has no way of ensuring all nurse training is producing safe nurses in the United Kingdom. The authors conclude that the untested educational ideology that brought root and branch change to nurse training in 1983 and which failed to produce nurses ,fit for practice and purpose' may still prevail. Relevance to clinical practice., The present paper demonstrates that United Kingdom nurse training still has no uniform and mandatory system in place to ensure, as far as is possible, that all registered nurses are clinically competent and safe to practice. [source]


Active learning in nursing education (ALINE): New model for teaching and learning

NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 2 2004
Vaunette Fay
Traditional teaching and learning pedagogical models do not adequately address the needs of students and often present substantial barriers to incorporating the benefits of technology enhanced learning. Active learning in nursing education (ALINE) is a practical teaching and learning model that: (a) provides a well-defined framework for accurate assessment of learning outcomes/objectives by requiring each outcome and/or objective be linked to an identified primary nursing competency; (b) identifies and defines the core components of a course (elements, objects and modules) and provides a framework for development of each of the components; (c) requires active learning principles be applied to every action taken by the learner throughout the course. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the ALINE learning model and the first virtual conference on aging that was held between 21 April to 2 May 2003. [source]