Competencies relevant for gerontological nursing: Focus-group interviews with professionals in the nursing of older people

Abstract

Older people are present in a variety of nursing settings and have distinct care needs. Evidence about the competencies required is crucial when developing the profession. The aim of the study was to describe competence areas relevant in gerontological nursing. A qualitative, descriptive study design was used with 27 participants included. Finnish gerontological nursing professionals who worked at several healthcare organizations and in education were interviewed in five focus-group interviews. The interviews were carried out between October 2017 and February 2018 and were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The study is reported according to SRQR guidelines. Analysis indicated four main competence areas for gerontological nursing: clinical nursing competence; competence in promoting health and well-being; interaction competence; and ethical competence. Registered nurses (RNs) must possess multiple competencies when caring for older people which should be taken into account in nursing and education.

Integrating Key Nursing Measures into a Comprehensive Healthcare Performance Management System: A Tuscan Experience

“…The PES, not only indicators, cover the activities for which nurses are responsible, but all processes in which they participate, to consider their systemic contribution. It also becomes clear that their contribution is integrated with that of other professions, strengthening the position of the need for multi-professionality in healthcare [50]. For their part, the Directors of Nursing Departments of Tuscany that engaged in the focus group did not oppose resistance in the choice of indicators to be accountable for; this is probably because they expressed the will of the whole professional body to be more visible and recognized ad deeply rooted in the various settings of the healthcare system.…”

The role of assessment in competence-based gerontological advanced practice nursing

“…Core competencies for gerontological advanced nursing practice may vary according to the source and country and model of care. The competence areas that are relevant for gerontological nursing are generally described as: 1) Competence in clinical nursing; 2) Competence in health and well-being promotion; 3) Interaction competence; and 4) Ethical competence (6) . Figure 1 presents the four relevant competencies for gerontological nursing practice.…”

“…The quality of nursing care is significant to address the fact that older adults tend to have more functional decline, disabilities, and adverse events during hospitalization (3)(4)(5) . A GAPN is crucial to ensure that the health care needs of older adults are addressed (2) , both in terms of assessment and in terms of implementation of comprehensive care to patients, families, and caregivers (6) . Gerontological advanced practice nurses implement evidence-based practices directed to patients and families, focusing on health promotion and protection (6) , disease prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation.…”

“…A GAPN is crucial to ensure that the health care needs of older adults are addressed (2) , both in terms of assessment and in terms of implementation of comprehensive care to patients, families, and caregivers (6) . Gerontological advanced practice nurses implement evidence-based practices directed to patients and families, focusing on health promotion and protection (6) , disease prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation. Competence-based gerontological advanced practice nursing requires comprehensive gerontological assessment (CGA), mainly since CGA is associated to decreased length of hospital stay, reduced mortality, and increased chance of home discharge (7) .…”

“…Competence-based gerontological advanced practice nursing requires comprehensive gerontological assessment (CGA), mainly since CGA is associated to decreased length of hospital stay, reduced mortality, and increased chance of home discharge (7) . Health care providers must be sufficiently competent to provide high-quality care to older adults using evidence and different care models (6) . This theoretical essay aimed to reflect about the role of assessment in competence-based advanced nursing practice directed to the care of older adults.…”