Identify core competencies of pediatric nurses in the inpatient unit

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to identify nurses’ core competencies in the inpatient unit. Methods: A three-round e-Delphi study including a panel of 32 expert pediatric nurses from Vinmec Healthcare system, and several governments of Pediatric Hospital was conducted from October 2023 to February 2024. Results: The first round sought a list of 5 -10 competencies from each participant which they were asked to prioritize in Round 2. In Round 3, they were asked to prioritize again with the knowledge of the priorities identified in Round 2. The final list of competencies was those achieving 70% agreement among participants. We identified 12 core competencies spanning a range of areas of competence such as febrile seizure, BLS, and prevention pressure injuries, risk of fall, and infection. Conclusion: This is the first study in Vietnam to delineate pediatric nurses’ core competencies. As such, it provides a foundation for the development of educational programs for pediatric nurses including competencies that are congruent with vinmec/ international standards