Public Policy on Competency: How Will Nursing Address This Complex Issue?

Abstract

The evolving contexts in which nursing care is provided and the complexity of clients being served are raising new questions about the nature of nursing practice, the ways in which nurses can best be prepared for such practice settings, and how current staff can continually update their knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide competent care. It is imperative that the profession be forward looking as it reassesses the implications of assuring the public of a competent nursing work force. The mandate to prepare nurses differently to practice competently in future health care systems also suggests a different system for competency assessment. This article provides an overview of international, national, and state perspectives and approaches in addressing the issue of assuring competency from a public policy perspective, including one state's experience to date.

Nursing Simulation: A Review of the Past 40 Years

“…Jordan, Thomas, Evans, and Green (2008) stressed that nursing must resolve "agreement on identification of minimal competencies, appropriate time lines for the evaluation of competencies, and assurance that the methodologies to determine competencies are evidence-based, protect the public, and promote patient safety" (p. 86). They go on to advocate for simulation centers where these competencies could be documented.…”

The relationship between the levels of nurses’ competence and the length of their clinical experience: a tentative model for nursing competence development

“…As such, assuring the continuing competence of nurses is the responsibility of nurses, healthcare organisations and nursing professional bodies. Nonetheless, the primary responsibility for competency development is often left to an individual nurse (Jordan et al. 2008).…”

Competency Education and Validation in the United States: What Should Nurses Know?

“… Competency assessment models should be evidence‐based. Any professional or regulatory model of competency assessment must consider the cost–benefit to the public and the profession. Assessment should focus on broad‐based competencies or “mid‐range” competencies to facilitate use across settings and contexts. Identifying key elements that produce specific competencies is critical to measurement. The science of competency measurement in nursing needs to be further developed, and will require extensive work by the profession that must begin immediately (Jordan, Thomas, Evans, & Green, 2008). …”

“…The science of competency measurement in nursing needs to be further developed, and will require extensive work by the profession that must begin immediately (Jordan, Thomas, Evans, & Green, 2008).…”

“…Given the complexity of validating the competence of nurses practicing in a variety of roles and environments, a number of strategies have been suggested to document nurses' continued competence in their particular practice. As previously noted, U.S. states such as Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas have legislated continuing education models to document competency (Jordan et al., 2008). In some states, “targeted” continuing education has been mandated, either for subjects that were considered to be necessary for public health (e.g.…”