Strategies to Implement a Competency Assessment Verification Program

Professional role competence is an essential element of nursing practice and an integral component of providing safe perioperative patient care. In the health care setting, verifying professional role competence and managing the associated documentation can be complex. Educators can use a variety of modalities (eg, flipped classrooms, gaming, podcasts) to present information in a manner that supports adult learning principles. When developing a competency assessment verification program, perioperative leaders should use a structured model to provide consistency; they also should partner with staff members and other key stakeholders (eg, surgeons, risk management personnel) to identify and prioritize ongoing competencies. The leaders and educators should identify competency verification methods, and leaders should designate qualified observers if needed. Documentation of competency activities should be stored in an easily accessible location. Implementing a standardized competency assessment verification program is a best practice that should result in improved patient outcomes.