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Nursing competencies: ground work in aged and extended care
A Ballantyne1, J Cheek, B O'Brien
1Faculty of Nursing, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia.
International Journal of Nursing Practice
|December 9, 1998
Summary
This study explored nursing competencies in aged and extended care. Findings suggest current frameworks are useful but incomplete, highlighting the need for context-specific interpretation of nursing skills in this sector.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nursing Science
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Nursing competency frameworks are essential for quality patient care.
- Existing frameworks for entry-level and advanced practice nurses are evolving.
- Aged and extended care nursing requires specific competencies often not fully captured by generic models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore nursing competencies specifically within aged and extended care settings.
- To identify gaps in current competency frameworks for this specialized nursing field.
- To develop a conceptual framework for understanding nursing competence in aged and extended care.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory study using semistructured interviews.
- Critical Incident Technique guided data collection from 29 participants.
- Thematic analysis of interview data from nurses, allied health, residents, and families.
Main Results:
- Australian Nursing Council Inc. competencies provide a useful, yet incomplete, foundation for aged and extended care.
- A conceptual framework was developed, illustrating the interplay between nursing competencies and their context.
- The framework identifies critical aspects for interpreting nursing competence in aged and extended care.
Conclusions:
- Current competency frameworks need augmentation for aged and extended care nursing.
- A context-dependent conceptual framework is proposed to better interpret nursing competence.
- Further development of specialized competencies is crucial for this sector.