Identifying Competencies of the ACT Program Nurse Using the DACUM Method

The nurse role on an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team requires a specialized set of skills in psychiatric community-based care. While the ACT model has existed for fifty years, no nationally recognized standard curriculum to train ACT nurses has been developed. The ACT Nursing Project described in this paper aimed to create a competency-based on-board training program using the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) method. Eight ACT nurses from three states served as the expert panel to create a DACUM chart detailing the full set of nine duties and 127 tasks required of ACT nurses. To verify the DACUM results, 57 ACT nurses from four states completed a survey and confirmed that 80% of the tasks identified by the expert panel were also performed by the validation sample of ACT nurses. This paper describes how the DACUM duties and tasks provided the framework to develop onboard training curriculum for ACT program nurses. The next step is to pilot the onboard training curriculum to newly hired ACT nurses to ensure they are equipped to meet the complex needs of people living with serious mental illness, and to increase their competency, job satisfaction and decrease the high annual turnover rate among ACT nurses.

Knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) of adaptable academic nurse educators

AIM

Using the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (KSAs) framework, the aim of this study was to explore the specific knowledge, skills and attitudes of adaptable nurse educators to help inform the preparation of current and future educators for smooth transitions during periods of change.

BACKGROUND

External events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and wildfires can force programs to relocate and suspend classes for several days or weeks. These natural disasters have the potential to have a negative impact on the number of nursing students graduating on time as well as the quality of the clinical education experience and preparation for practice. Many lessons about educator adaptability can be learned from the COVID-19 restrictions. Identifying the KSAs of adaptable nurse educators during the rapidly changing educational landscape provided the opportunity for a foundational needs assessment to guide the preparation of educators for seamless transitions during times of change.

DESIGN

To identify the KSA's of adaptable nurse educators, an exploratory qualitative study using focus groups was conducted. The study used thematic analysis.

METHODS

The research team developed, and pilot-tested focus group interview questions based on content areas identified in the literature. Targeted questions included queries specific to the KSAs necessary for adaptation and successful teaching using simulation. Educators from pre-licensure nursing programs in the United States participated in one of five 60-minute focus groups held virtually via a secure online meeting platform.

RESULTS

Adaptable nurse educators have knowledge of resources, ongoing assessment, evaluation and teaching strategies and an understanding of the skillsets of their colleagues. Their skills include leadership, teamwork, redesigning learning and assessment. They demonstrate qualities such as resilience, empathy, acceptance, openness and positivity.

CONCLUSION

With the current nursing workforce crisis, external events cannot be allowed to slow academic progression and graduation from nursing programs. In this exploratory qualitative study using focus groups, the KSAs held by adaptable nurse educators were explored. The findings of this study highlight the importance of collaboration and teamwork in academic institutes. The findings can be used as the foundation for nursing programs to prepare for future external events.

From Start-up to Sustainability: A Decade of Collaboration to Shape the Future of Nursing

AIM

This article describes progress the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education has made toward addressing the academic progression goals provided by the 2011 Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health report.

BACKGROUND

The history of the consortium's development is described, emphasizing the creation of an efficient and sustainable organization infrastructure that supports a shared curriculum provided through a community college/university partnership.

METHOD

Data and analysis describing progress and challenges related to supporting a shared curriculum and increasing access and affordability for nursing education across the state are presented.

RESULTS

We identified four crucial attributes of maintaining collaborative community that have been cultivated to assure the consortium continues to make progress toward reaching the Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing goals.

CONCLUSION

Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education provides important lessons learned for other statewide consortiums to consider when developing plans for sustainability.