Identifying the core competencies of backup nurses in the acute care hospital through a modified Delphi process†
Article Category: Original article
Published Online: Apr 13, 2022
Page range: 37 - 45
Received: Jun 25, 2021
Accepted: Aug 10, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2022-0005
Keywords
© 2022 Yan-Ying Feng et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Background
The backup nurses are created to meet emergencies in the case of inadequate nursing staff and emergency circumstances, and there are no clear definitions of the core competencies for training and evaluation of backup nurses in the acute care hospitals in China.
Methods
This study used a modified Delphi process where an initial list of potential competencies is established following a framework of training need analysis (TNA), literature review, and focus groups. This process generated as a list of 47 core competencies, which is presented to an expert panel (
Results
As determined by the survey, a combination of 26 core competencies in three specified categories is identified: professional practice ability, critical thinking ability, and interpersonal skills. A total of 154.99 h is required to complete all 26 core competencies, and each item has a corresponding evaluation method.
Conclusions
The core competencies provide a scientific basis for the hospital nursing managers to train and evaluate backup nurses, and it may ensure consistency in standards across the country.