title: Evaluating continuing competency: a challenge for nursing.
abstract: Twenty-five nurse leaders met at an invitational conference in Texas to discuss professional nurse competency evaluation. Conference attendees who were statewide nursing leaders in practice, education, and administration identified ways to evaluate competency. Responses were recorded and clustered into the following patterns: (1) components of competency evaluation, (2) barriers and challenges to evaluating competency, and (3) recommendations for evaluating competency. Conference attendees reported competency includes the abilities to think in action, have confidence and clarity in decision making, and retrieve information throughout the career trajectory. Nurses must demonstrate the ability to access evidence-based information and synthesize it within the context of practice situations. Self-reflection and self-assessment are necessary components to competency evaluation for the improvement of nursing practice.
authors.affiliation: Center for Innovation in Nursing Education, School of Nursing, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alien
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lauchner
authors.forename: Ruth Ann
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bridges
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Francis-Johnson
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olivarez
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002322:Career Mobility; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D003657:Decision Making; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013781:Texas; D013850:Thinking