Construction of a core competency evaluation index system for nurses specializing in chronic kidney disease management in China: a Delphi study

Abstract

Background: CKD management nurse specialists can effectively delay the progression of CKD by starting from changing patients' lifestyles and improving their self-management ability. Chronic kidney disease management requires more comprehensive theoretical knowledge as well as skills, and therefore there is an urgent need to train a group of multi-skilled specialist nurses. However, there are few specific indicators that can be used to assess the core competencies of these specialist nurses. Therefore, this study aimed to construct a core competency evaluation index system for CKD management specialist nurses through the Delphi expert consultation method. Methods: This study initially constructed a core competency evaluation index system for CKD management nurse specialists through literature review and semi-structured interviews. Two rounds of expert consultation were conducted with 24 experts in different fields from 13 regions of China, including specialist nurses, nursing managers, nursing educators, and clinicians. They rated each item on a Likert scale and suggested modifications. Based on the recommendations of the two rounds of expert consultation and the group discussion, the final evaluation index system was formed. Results: After two rounds of expert consultation, the final evaluation index system of core competence was formed, including three first-level items: professional theoretical knowledge; Clinical practice skills; Professional development competencies,and 16 Level 2 items, corresponding to 64 detailed level items. Conclusions: The establishment of a core competency evaluation index system for CKD management specialist nurses provides a basis for the selection, training, and assessment of specialist nurses. The evaluation index system is comprehensive, reflects the characteristics of the speciality, and provides job descriptions based on core competencies, which can promote the development of chronic kidney disease management.