Updated Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing: Practice Applications.

Abstract

The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing is a lens through which nurses can view their practice; the four domains provide a template that guides that practice. The aim of this study was to describe a task force's review procedures and share the updated model. A rehabilitation nursing task force appraised the model over the course of 1 year. The original four domains remain, with wording changes for content and clarity throughout. Notable changes include (1) new competency for Domain 1 that focuses on the understanding of the worldview of individuals who are culturally different and (2) case stories for each domain related to nurses' proficiency (beginner, intermediate, and expert). This updated model can be used to explicate the rehabilitation nurses' role on intra/interprofessional teams, as well as provide a framework for education and staff orientation/performance evaluation. This competency model reflects the current practice and advances of the specialty practice of rehabilitation nursing.