Entrustable professional activities for quality and patient safety

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Competency-Based Education
• Healthcare Training

Background:

• Nursing education requires innovative methods to implement competencies effectively.
• Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) emerge as a promising approach to bridge the gap between education and practice.
• EPAs facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) as a curriculum and assessment framework for graduate nursing education.
• To provide a structured approach for developing EPAs in nursing.
• To highlight the relevance of EPAs in enhancing nurse practitioner training and residency programs.

Main Methods:

• Development of a quality and safety EPA as a practical example.
• Incorporation of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) patient safety competencies.
• Utilization of evidence-based literature to inform EPA development.

Main Results:

• EPAs offer a practical strategy for integrating nursing competencies.
• Quality and safety are identified as foundational elements for nursing practice, education, and research, aligning with EPA implementation.
• The study provides a seven-step process for creating nursing EPAs.

Conclusions:

• EPAs represent a timely and practical framework for advancing nursing education and practice.
• Implementing EPAs can enhance the quality and safety of patient care.
• The EPA model supports the development of advanced nursing roles and residency programs.