Competence and competency-based nursing education: finding our way through the issues (original) (raw)
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A Second Generation of the Competency-Based Approach to Nursing Education
International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 2009
This article describes the renewal of a baccalaureate program in nursing. This new program was developed to respond to new challenges presented to the profession. A completely new approach was adopted, the competency-based approach (CBA), with a constructivist, holistic foundation that we named 'second generation CBA.' The CBA theoretical underpinnings are presented, as well as the structure and the content of the program with a special focus on the teaching and learning strategies. A course on health illustrates the approach. Although no rigorous evaluation has been held, comments from students and teachers were collected during the implementation process. Assessment of students' competency levels remains an important issue.
Competence in nursing practice: A controversial concept-A focused review of literature
Nurse Education Today, 2005
The competency-based approach to education, training and assessment has surfaced as a key policy in industrialised nations. Following the transition of nurse preparation to the higher education sector the need to attenuate the tension of interests between employer and educator arose. While the competency-based approach has the potential to fulfil this, the application of competence to nursing is controversial and little consensus exists on definition. This paper synthesises a significant volume of literature relating to the acceptability and definition of the concept of competence with regard to nursing practice. Subsequent to a focused review of literature, problems inherent to the definition and utilisation of the concept of nursing competence are discussed. Because nursing requires complex combinations of knowledge, performance, skills and attitudes, a holistic definition of competence needs to be agreed upon and operationalised. This could facilitate greater acceptance of the concept and also underpin the development of competency standards and the tools required for the assessment of such.
Problems of competence-based nurse education
Nurse Education Today, 1991
The system of nurse education in the UK is undergoing a radical shake-up. Many new courses are being designed and implemented along the lines of the Project 2000 framework. New curricula and course structures are required to meet the changing role of the nurse of the future. Many curriculum design teams are adopting a competence-based model of curriculum to meet these needs. This approach is receiving central encouragement (UKCC 1986). In this paper it is argued that this strategy is faulty and ill-conceived; the inherent difficulties of the competence-based model of curriculum design are highlighted. These issues are of fundamental concern to nurse educators and students in the UK.
The Function of Competencies in Nursing: A Critical Exploration
2019
Summary: Within the clinical environment competency frameworks have been structured around a minimum standard of practice. A system of generic competencies has the potential to obscure the knowledge and skill of the RN and to blur the boundaries between the scopes of practice between the RN and EN (LPN). Content Outline: Introduction: The demand for more nurses, flexibility within the workforce and a desire to provide for wider opportunities for both nurses and the public has created a push towards assessments that are relevant to the clinical environment. These assessments have the potential to create little difference between the scopes of practice of the enrolled nurse (EN) [LPN] and registered nurse (RN). Clinical competence is associated with what the student is able to achieve in practice and university education is seen as the attainment of scientific knowledge. The disparity between these two areas has created a perception of skill gap which has lead to a widening between th...
A concept analysis of competence and its transition in nursing
Nurse Education Today, 2013
Competence is one of the most commonly used words in nursing internationally, yet is a nebulous concept defined in diverse ways by different healthcare practitioners. The slippery nature of the concept often exists purely in the eye of the beholder however, the universal principles are deeply rooted in the measurement of the Registered Nurse's (RN) ability to perform effectively. Competence is a simpler thing to define when recognising where it does not exist in the form of incompetence. The aim of this paper is to present finding from a concept analysis that explored various facets of competence, particularly how it has been interpreted, applied and transformed over the years within nurse education in the United Kingdom. The analysis utilised a systematic review of contemporary evidence base based on theory construction by Walker and Avant (2005), a primary concern being to understand the underpinning conceptual principles that define the concept of competence and competency development and how these may be used to inform our understandings. The analysis identified how influential academics and professional bodies have attempted to provide definitions and concluded that it may be the existence of so many of these definitions, which has compounded the conundrum of what competence really is.
Nursing and Competencies: A Natural Fit. The Politics of Skill/Competency Formation in Nursing
Nursing Inquiry, 2011
The last two decades have seen a significant restructuring of work across Australia and other industrialised economies, a critical part of which has been the appearance of competency based education and assessment. The competency movement is about creating a more flexible and mobile labour force to increase productivity and it does so by redefining work as a set of transferable or 'soft' generic skills that are transportable and are the possession of the individual. This paper sought to develop an analysis of competency based clinical assessment of nursing students across a bachelor of nursing degree course. This involved an examination of a total of 406 clinical assessment tools that covered the years 1992-2009 and the three years of a bachelor degree. Data analysis generated three analytical findings: the existence of a hierarchy of competencies that prioritises soft skills over intellectual and technical skills; the appearance of skills as personal qualities or individual attributes; and the absence of context in assessment. The paper argues that the convergence in nursing of soft skills and the professionalisation project reform has seen the former give legitimacy to the enduring invisibility and devaluation of nursing work.
Competency in nursing practice: a concept analysis
BMJ Open, 2023
Objective Competency denotes the ability to execute a certain task or action with the necessary knowledge. Competency definitions and measurements are challenging for nursing and other professions due to their multidimensional aspects. This study aimed to clarify the concept of competency in nursing practice and propose an accurate definition. Design Walker and Avant's approach was used to elucidate the concept of competency in nursing practice. Data sources ScienceDirect, PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus and CINAHL were searched from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2021. Eligibility criteria We included studies with the keywords: "concept analysis", "competence", "competency" and "nursing". The search was limited to full-text studies written in English that used theoretical and empirical approaches. Data extraction and synthesis We extracted the concept's uses, defining attributes, and the consequences and antecedents of the concept. Results 60 articles were identified from the search process; after excluding duplicates and works unrelated to the study aim and context following the full-text screening, 10 articles were included in this concept analysis. The common defining attributes of competency were knowledge, self-assessment and dynamic state. Competency in nursing practice had many reported positive consequences that include but are not limited to improved patient, nurse and organisational outcomes. Conclusions Nurses can benefit from the result of this analysis in practice to implement professional care, in particular clinical contexts and situations to enhance patients' health.
OALib, 2018
Competency is the basic standard for all healthcare professionals when providing care to recipients. The practice of good nursing begins primarily in the study of the nursing program and in the preparation of a nurse with high efficiency in nursing skills. This paper presents the concept of nursing competencies for Saudi nursing and its importance in implementing the national transition program 20/30, and the nursing competencies framework related to the graduate of the Bachelor of Nursing and the methods used in response to the needs of the academic and educational environment, and the stages to develop a competency-based approach.