The competencies of registered nurses working in care homes: a modified Delphi study

Stanyon, Miriam; Goldberg, Sarah E.; Astle, Anita; Griffiths, Amanda; Gordon, Adam L.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Registered Nurses (RNs) working in UK care homes receive most of their training in acute hospitals. At present the role of care home nursing is underdeveloped and it is seen as a low status career. We describe here research to define core competencies for RNs working in UK care homes.

METHODS: A two-stage process was adopted. A systematic literature review and focus groups with stakeholders provided an initial list of competencies. The competency list was modified over three rounds of a Delphi process with a multi-disciplinary expert panel of 28 members.

RESULTS: Twenty-two competencies entered the consensus process, all competencies were amended and six split. Thirty-one competencies were scored in round two, eight were agreed as essential, one competency was split into two. Twenty-four competencies were submitted for scoring in round three. In total, 22 competencies were agreed as essential for RNs working in care homes. A further ten competencies did not reach consensus.

CONCLUSION: The output of this study is an expert-consensus list of competencies for RNs working in care homes. This would be a firm basis on which to build a curriculum for this staff group.

Citation

Stanyon, M., Goldberg, S. E., Astle, A., Griffiths, A., & Gordon, A. L. (2017). The competencies of registered nurses working in care homes: a modified Delphi study. Age and Ageing, 46(4), 582–588. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afw244

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 7, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jan 7, 2017
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jan 5, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 7, 2017
• Journal: Age and Ageing
• Print ISSN: 0002-0729
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2834
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 582–588
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afw244
• Keywords: Care homes, nursing, competencies
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/869983
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/46/4/582/2863852
• Additional Information: This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Age and Ageing following peer review. The version of record Miriam Ruth Stanyon, Sarah Elizabeth Goldberg, Anita Astle, Amanda Griffiths, Adam Lee Gordon; The competencies of Registered Nurses working in care homes: a modified Delphi study, Age and Ageing, Volume 46, Issue 4, 1 July 2017, Pages 582–588, https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afw244 is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/doi/10.1093/ageing/afw244/2863852/The-competencies-of-Registered-Nurses-working-in