Identification of nurses' competencies in primary health care through a Delphi study in southern Brazil

This investigation aimed to identify and analyze the general and specific competencies of nurses in the primary health care practice of Brazil.

The Delphi Technique was used as the method of study.

2 groups of participants were selected: One contained primary health care nurses (n=52) and the other specialists (n=57), including public health nurses and public or community health faculty.

3 questionnaires were developed for the study. The first asked participants to indicate general and specific competencies, which were compiled into a list for each group. A Likert scale of 1-5 was added to these 2 lists in the second and third questionnaires. A consensus criterion of 75% for score 4 or 5 was adopted.

In the nurses' group, 17 general and 8 specific competencies reached the consensus criterion; 19 general and 9 specific competencies reached the criterion in the specialists' group. These competencies were classified into 10 domains: professional values, communication, teamwork, management, community-oriented, health promotion, problem solving, health care, and education and basic public health sciences.

These competencies reflect Brazilian health policy and constitute a reference for health professional practice and education.