title: Maintaining competency for float nursing staff.
abstract: Orienting staff to multiple areas is challenging, as is maintaining multiple competencies, which might be used infrequently. Creating a strategy to regularly assess needed competencies to maintain a highly skilled pool of nurses, prepared to float to multiple areas, is critical to supporting flexible staffing. A plan for how to achieve this complex analysis is described and can be translated to other complex environments.
authors.affiliation: Kimberly Overman, RN, is Staffing Department Clinical Nurse IV, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina. Jeni Hauver, BSN, RN, is Staffing Department Clinical Nurse IV, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina. Jennifer McKay, MHA, BSN, RN, is Clinical Operations Director, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina. Julia Aucoin, DNS, RN-BC, CNE, is Nurse Scientist, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overman
authors.forename: Jeni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hauver
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aucoin
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling