A Call to Action: ABNS encourages its members to officially endorse the statement and use the findings in future strategic discussions.
The Board of Directors of the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) has endorsed the Statement of Continuing Competence for Nursing: A Call to Action. The statement, developed by a Continuing Competence Task Force (CCTF) convened by the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCPHN), provides a definition for professional competence in specialty nursing.
“The concept of competence is one of the most talked about issues in our industry,” Jacqueline Stewart, RN, MSN, CEN, CCRN, FAEN, ABNS President, said. “The ABNS leadership unanimously endorses the CCTF’s statement and definition and encourages our member organizations to use it as a starting point to evaluate and enhance their assessment and recertification programs.”
In 2010, NBCHPN created the Continuing Competence Task Force (CCTF) to achieve three primary goals: (1) distinguish between competence and competency; (2) define continuing competence; and (3) identify indicators of continuing competence. The result of the CCTF’s work is the “statement” that has now been made publicly available.
“We talk a lot about the words, ‘competence’ and ‘continuing competence,’ but through our Task Force’s work we discovered a lack of consensus on what these words actually mean,” Dr. Bette Case DiLeonardi, Chair of the CCTF, said. “Without consensus on these terms how can we develop assessment tools and programs that truly measure continuing competence?”
DiLeonardi and other members of the Task Force were charged with reviewing the literature and developing a definition that would serve as the foundation for further research and discussion.
According to the CCTF, continuing competence is defined as, “the ongoing commitment of a registered nurse to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills and judgment with the attitudes, values and beliefs required to practice safely, effectively and ethically in a designated role and setting.”
The CCTF statement also defines the difference between competency and competence using language developed by Kathryn Schroeter, Ph.D., RN, CNOR and published in the Competency & Credentialing Institute’s (CCI) Competence Literature Review. Schroeder notes that, “Although they may sound similar, competence and competency are not necessarily synonymous. Competence refers to a potential ability and/or a capability to function in a given situation. Competency focuses on one’s actual performance in a situation. This means that competence is required before one can expect to achieve competency”
The ABNS leadership believes the statement serves as a valuable tool for certifying agencies and encourages members to publicly endorse it and include it as part of their future strategic discussions at the Board level. In addition to ABNS, other prestigious organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (ANCC), the Council on Graduate Education for Administration in Nursing (CGEAN), and the National Nursing Staff Development Organization (NNDSO) have endorsed the statement.
The Statement of Continuing Competence for Nursing: A Call to Action is available on the ABNS Web site at www.nursingcertification.org.