BMC Nursing (09/28/2023) Vol. 22, No. 343 Wit, Renate F.; de Veer, Anke J.E.; Batenburg, Ronald S.; et al.
Researchers compared the professional competency frameworks for registered nurses (RNs) with a bachelor's degree in nursing in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Qualitative document analysis found just one nationwide general professional competency framework for RNs with bachelor's degrees in each country. Only three of the frameworks cited their point of departure for the categorization of the competencies into specific domains: an adapted inter-professional framework in the United States, European directives about the recognition of professional qualifications in Belgium and an adaptation of the CanMEDS model in the Netherlands. The researchers identified 10 generic competency domains encompassed by all five frameworks. Those domains are professional attitude, clinical care in practice, communication and collaboration, health promotion and prevention, organization and planning of care, leadership, quality and safety of care, training and (continuing) education, technology and e-health and support of self-management and patient empowerment. The training and (continuing) education domain covers lifelong nurse learning and providing or aiding with education. The Dutch framework's relative competencies in this domain include supervising and coaching colleagues, keeping abreast of professional literature, self-reflection, giving and taking feedback and being a role model. The Belgian framework prioritizes self-evaluation, competency-improving training, research participation and teaching students and colleagues. The U.K.'s model emphasizes self-reflection, professional skills development, student support and supervision and constructive feedback. The Canadian framework's "Educator" competency describes skills in selecting, developing and using relevant teaching/learning theories and approaches for various clients and contexts, while the "Scholar" competency focuses on commitment to lifelong learning, research activity support and research skills development. The U.S. model lists "scholarship for nursing discipline" competencies related to producing, synthesizing, translating, applying and promulgating nursing knowledge to enhance health and transform care. The researchers observe that "variation in competency frameworks might be a barrier to the international exchange of the developing body of nursing knowledge and make it harder for nurses to work abroad."
Read More