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Developing a competence framework and evaluation tool for primary care nursing in South Africa
Susan Strasser1, Leslie London, Elma Kortenbout
1Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Cape Town, South Africa. susanstrasser@webmail.co.za
Education for Health (Abingdon, England)
|July 13, 2005
Summary
This study identified nine core competencies for primary care nurses in South Africa. It also highlighted infrastructure and supervision challenges that impact nurse competency assessment.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Healthcare Policy
- Primary Health Care
Background:
- Nurses are central to primary care delivery in South Africa.
- Legislation mandates comprehensive primary services at public clinics.
- A need exists for skilled primary care nurses to meet these demands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define core competencies for clinic nurses in South Africa.
- To create an evaluation tool for primary care nursing practice.
Main Methods:
- Utilized descriptive and exploratory research techniques.
- Convened a reference group of South African primary care professionals.
- Employed the Delphi technique for international expert consensus.
Main Results:
- A list of nine core competencies for primary care nurses was established.
- Infrastructure issues (e.g., service delivery models, communication, supervision) were identified as significant concerns.
- Delphi participants confirmed the nine competencies and emphasized assessing training impact, suggesting proxy indicators for measurement.
Conclusions:
- Defining core competencies is complex, requiring diverse perspectives.
- Balancing academic standards with practical service delivery constraints is challenging.
- The Delphi technique, despite limitations like potential bias and fatigue, offers a valuable platform for expert deliberation.