title: Measuring competence: collaboration for safety.
abstract: Few options are available to nursing regulatory boards for the evaluation of nursing competency in registered nurses who are reported for practice breakdown. To address this deficiency, the authors conducted funded research through collaboration between their respective institutions: a state nursing regulatory board, a community college nursing program, and a state university nursing program. Through this collaboration, a competency evaluation process that used high-fidelity simulation was developed and was called the nursing performance profile (NPP). The NPP process consisted of evaluation of videotaped performances of registered nurses providing simulated patient care in three successive situations. Nurses who were experienced in both practice and supervision rated the performances according to scoring guidelines developed by the authors. Findings showed that the NPP process has the potential to (1) provide regulators, educators, and employers with a quantitative picture of nurse performance across nine areas essential to safe practice, and (2) establish a basis for recommending a specific remediation plan or continuing professional development.
authors.affiliation: education and Evidence Based Eduaction, Arizona State Board of Nursing, Phoenix, Arizona 85014, USA. prandolph@azbn.gov
authors.forename: Pamela K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Randolph
authors.forename: Janine E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hagler
authors.forename: Mary Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Mays
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kastenbaum
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: DeFalco
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weberg
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*