Date of Paper/Work
5-2023
Type of Paper/Work
Doctor of Nursing Practice Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Cynthia Lee Dols Finn
Department/School
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Abstract
Background: To ensure patient safety, nurses need to maintain competency, which is ongoing, dynamic, and constantly changing. Through root cause analysis, the organization identified many preventable safety events attributed to nursing competency. A quality improvement initiative implemented a standardized process to identify nursing competency needs and complete validation of the identified competency. The population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time (PICOT) question was: For RNs in an acute care unit, does Wright's competency model, compared to the current process, improve nurse satisfaction and confidence with the process and competence, based on pre-and post- intervention self-assessments?
Methods: The quality improvement project design included piloting Wright's Competency Model, developing standard tools to aid in competency identification, and a prioritization process to be used by stakeholders. For this pilot, two competency needs were identified: the first 5 minutes of a code response and pressure injury prevention. Two validation methods from which the nurse could choose were also identified. To gather data on the project, pre- and post-intervention surveys were sent to the nurses. Descriptive statistics, paired T-tests, and qualitative thematic analysis were utilized to analyze the data.
Results: Wright's competency model was successfully implemented, and survey results showed improved staff satisfaction, reflection of practice, and nursing input in the development process. There was a >50% increase in perceived nurse competency for the first 5 minutes of the code and pressure injury prevention.
Conclusions/Implications for practice: Initial results conclude that the project was a success. Wright's model improved nurse satisfaction with the competency process and improved nurse perception of competence. Long-term impacts on patient outcomes are yet to be assessed. Plans to expand the pilot to other locations are underway.
Recommended Citation
Julik, Alyssa M.. (2023). Maintaining Competency Beyond Orientation: Utilizing Wright's Competency Model. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/dnp_projects/194