A community nurse clinical competency framework.
This article describes a dynamic initiative in community nursing education across the South West Peninsula. A group of educationalists from three community health services have written a framework of clinical competences to support community nurses in their professional development, providing career progression. The framework comprises of three sections: a preceptorship for nurses novice to community nursing; a section where experienced community nurses record their achieved knowledge, skills and competences, complemented by a validated, academic, 40 credit, degree module; and a developmental role (identified as a 'band 5+') in which the nurse demonstrates a range of knowledge and competences in order to progress onto a higher band such as a team leader. This framework is currently being piloted in four NHS community health services/trusts and it is expected that an evaluation will be undertaken within 12 months of implementation.
Glanville Geake
Bev
B
Torbay Care Trust, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. bglanvillegeake@nhs.net
Ryder
Rebecca
R
D002322:Career Mobility; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000193:education*; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D011231:Preceptorship; D006113:United Kingdom