Designing a competency-based orientation program for the care of cardiac surgical patients

Orienting nurses to care for the cardiac surgical patient may require 7 to 14 days with a preceptor. Use of a competency-based orientation (CBO) program such as the one described in this article can minimize orientation time to three to five days while assuring competent practice. CBO uses a variety of learning methods and individualized instruction, focusing on the ability to perform a task or behavior correctly rather than on the ability to demonstrate knowledge. This article describes the basic components of a CBO program. Personal experience with development of such a program for the care of cardiac surgical patients in the immediate postoperative period is described. Advantages and limitations of CBO are described, as are suggestions for future research.