Expert Panel Releases Nurse Competencies for Nursing Home Culture Change

In 2008, an interdisciplinary expert panel was assembled by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations and the Pioneer Network. The panel was tasked with addressing culture change in nursing homes and making recommendations on how nurses could contribute to said change.

On May 27, the panel released a set of 10 nurse competencies to help promote and facilitate person-directed care and culture change in long-term care facilities. The competencies don't specify nurses' roles or the necessary level of educaiton for the licensed nurse. Some of them might apply more to nurses in administrative positions, while others are appropriate for nurses at all levels.

The 10 competencies are:

1. Models, teaches and utilized effective communication skills such as active listening, giving meaningful feedback, communicating ideas clearly, addressing emotional behaviors, resolving conflict and understanding the rold of diversity in communication.
2. Creates systems and adapts daily routines and "person-directed" care practices to accommodate resident preferences.
3. Views self as part of team, not always as the leader.
4. Evaluates the degree to which person-directed care practices exist in the care team and identifies and addresses barriers to person-directed care.
5. Views the care setting as the residents' home and works to create attributes of home.
6. Creates a system to maintain consistency of caregivers for residents.
7. Exhibits leadership characteristics/abilities to promote person-directed care.
8. Role models person-directed care.
9. Problem solves complex medical/psychosocial situations related to resident choice and risk.
10. Facilitates team members, including residents and families, in shared problem-solving, decision-making and planning.

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