Development of Prelicensure Nursing Competencies in Caring for People With Disabilities Through Delphi Methodology

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Disability Studies
• Healthcare Competencies

Background:

• People with disabilities (PWDs) face significant health disparities.
• Nurses require specialized preparation to effectively care for PWDs.
• Current nursing education lacks defined competencies for disability care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive set of nursing competencies for pre-licensure students.
• To enhance the preparedness of nurses in providing competent care to PWDs.
• To establish a foundation for integrating disability content into nursing curricula.

Main Methods:

• A two-round Delphi survey involving 47 and 35 disability experts.
• Utilized both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods.
• Expert consensus building to refine nursing competencies.

Main Results:

• Identified three key themes: unique knowledge, volume and repetition, and distinct disability culture.
• Developed 12 core competencies focused on four dimensions: environment and care, communication, culture, and referral.
• Competencies aim to address the complexities of disability in nursing practice.

Conclusions:

• The 12 newly developed competencies provide a framework for nursing curricula.
• These competencies can guide the education of nurses to improve care for PWDs.
• Establishing standardized competencies is crucial for reducing health disparities in PWDs.