This study identifies competencies and accompanying skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) required by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) nurse executives. Using the Delphi decision-making method, 144 VHA directors of nursing identified five top competencies necessary for nurse executives. An expert panel sorted competencies into the eight core domains of the VHA high-performance development model. Next, nurse executives rated SKAs by using a 7-point importance scale. Response rates were 34% and 48.2% for Delphi rounds 1 and 2, respectively. Round 1 generated 245 unique nurse executive competencies. In round 2, the highest rated SKAs involved ethical conduct, decision-making, abilities to continuously learn and lead, staffing, and conflict-resolution skills. Competency list outcomes are expected to be useful for executive self-assessment, professional development, and identification of continuing education needs. Specific SKAs can provide a means for development of job requirements and career performance criteria.
A Delphi study was conducted of Army senior Medical Service Corps leaders (O6s) to identify the expected behaviors and competencies needed to ensure that junior officers will achieve successful careers as Medical Service Corps officers in the 21st century. A Delphi mailing was conducted in two phases. In the first iteration, 41 behaviors were identified to be of importance. In the second mailing, the 41 behaviors were rated for relative importance on a 7-point bipolar rating scale (1 = unimportant, 7 = most important). Comparisons were made between the ratings of administrative and biomedical scientific/technical (BS/T) series. Discriminant models developed to compare demographics between administrative and BS/T officers indicated that administrative officers had more time in grade, years of service, and professional military education, whereas BS/T officers reported significantly more civilian education. Minor differences among the two groups emerged for behavior ratings; however, the final priority order of behaviors reflected a high degree of consensus from both groups.
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