Development of the core competency-based entrustable professional activities for Master of Nursing Specialist (MNS) graduates in China

Abstract

Background Advanced nursing practice and education with a Master’s degree as the necessary preparation, is viewed as a major strategy to cultivate senior nursing talents. Competencies are central to advanced nursing practice and education, but how can competencies be measured? Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) have been used widely in medicine as a practical approach for bridging the gaps between competency and clinical practice. Considering the paucity of research in EPAs for nursing graduates in China, it is needed to develop EPAs specifically for Chinese Master of Nursing Specialist (MNS) graduates to improve patient safety and quality patient care. Objectives To develop and evaluate a core competency-based EPAs framework for Chinese MNS graduates. Methods A four-stage approach was adopted for the EPAs development, including: (1) forming a research team, (2) drafting an initial EPAs framework, (3) reviewing EPAs framework, and (4) conducting EPAs consensus assessment. Results A framework containing twelve EPAs was developed, including: 1) perform health assessments, 2) identify and prioritize nursing diagnoses, 3) formulate and implement care plan, 4) perform basic and specialized care operations, 5) recognize and manage medication needs of patients, 6) assess and manage patients with mental health problems, 7) recognize and assist in rescuing critically ill patients, 8) perform transition and handover, 9) participate in multidisciplinary team collaborative care, 10) provide health education and nursing consultation, 11) formulate and implement discharge plans, and 12) instruct nursing students in a clinical setting. The I-CVI score for the two rounds of Delphi ranged from 0.92 ∼ 1.00 and 0.96 ∼ 1.00, respectively. The mean of Equal’s score for the three domains ranged from 4.20 ∼ 4.47, 4.25 ∼ 4.51, and 4.23 ∼ 4.37, respectively. Conclusion The developed EPAs framework in this study is a reliable tool to assess the core competencies of Chinese MNS graduates in clinical practice and assist with their curricula design.