The Development of a Program to Promote the Ability of Charge Nurses Using a Competency-Based Learning Framework at Songklanagarind Hospital

Abstract

Promoting competency for a nures to be able to fill the charge nurse’s role is important because he or she will represent the head nurse during non-office hours. This technical action research aimed to develop a program to promote the capacity to be a charge nure using competency-based learning (CBL) concept. There were three phases: 1) situation analysis, 2) action, and 3) evaluation. The informants consisted of four supervisors orhead nurses and thirty full-time nurses working for 4 at least years without experience being a charge nurse. The program developed by the researcher was based on situational analysis data and CBL concepts and consisted of a self-learning and a self learning-coaching-intranet system (SCI) module. Instruments used were the 1) supervisor performance assessment, 2) management decision assessment, and 3) satisfaction toward using the program questionnaires. The content validity was approved by five experts, yielding CVIs of .96, 1, and .94, respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that, after participating in the the program, nurses had a high level of ability to work as charge nurses based on the job control aspect which was rated at the high level (M = 2.70, SD = 0.50). The most appropriate competency was handling complaints, which was rated at the high level (M = 2.90, SD = 0.40). The average of overall satisfaction score was at the highest level (M = 4.33, SD = 0.48).  This program focuses on self learning and development from experience, so it is suitable to use for enhancing nurses’ competency to be a charge nurse.