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CS407
Reclaiming Our Time And Revitalizing Annual Competency Evaluation In The Intensive Care Unit
By: L. Brown,& J. Beckman; Sharp Grossmont Hospital; CA.
For further information, please contact: leahrn@sbcglobal.net
Purpose: Critical Care nurses must demonstrate competency in high risk, low volume procedures annually. Previous methods had been prolonged and frustrating. In collaboration with staff, the intensive care unit educators revised the annual competency evaluation process to be efficient and comprehensive.
Description: After reviewing staff comments and analyzing their dissatisfaction with the process, the educators developed a plan for annual competency evaluation program (CEP) which included more efficient use of time and energy, increased testing in the clinical area, and incorporated some fun. When patients requiring tested skills were admitted to the units, Educators and Lead Nurses utilized the opportunity to test the staff’s proficiency at the bedside. For testing in a simulated setting, staff scheduled appointment times. This ensured that nurses began testing when they arrived and were not kept waiting for the availability of an educator. Nurses signed up in pairs to allow for increased collaboration. The hours for testing were limited to allow for educator break and avoidance of tester fatigue. Study materials were expanded to include PowerPoint slide shows on the ICU intranet site, showing step by step instructions in photos for tested procedures. The nurses were asked to demonstrate the skills required to be checked off, not merely recite the steps or verbalize a guideline. Hypothetical clinical situations were used to assess critical thinking and understanding of the guidelines of care and monitoring procedures.
Evaluation and Outcomes: Although CEP had previously been a dreaded time of the year, staff said that it was now “fun” as they prepared an intracranial pressure transducer or managed a code blue. Pass rates were similar, but the majority of staff completed CEP by July instead of December. All felt that this new approach infused CEP with quality and efficiency, allowing educators and nurses more time to focus efforts on new initiatives and evidence based practice.
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