List of Subject-Specific Competences
A. Competences associated with the professional values and the role of the nurse
1. Ability to practise within the context of professional, ethical, regulatory and legal codes, recognising and responding to moral/ethical dilemmas and issues in day to day practice.
2. Ability to practise in a holistic, tolerant, non judgemental, caring and sensitive manner, ensuring that the rights, beliefs and wishes of different individuals and groups are not compromised.
3. Ability to educate, facilitate, support and encourage the health, wellbeing and comfort of populations, communities, groups and individuals whose lives are affected by ill health, distress, disease, disability or death.
4. Awareness of the different roles, responsibilities and functions of a nurse.
5. Ability to adjust their role to respond effectively to population/patient needs. Where necessary and appropriate is able to challenge current systems to meet population/patient needs.
6. Ability to accept responsibility for his/her own professional development and learning, using evaluation as a way to reflect and improve upon on his/her performance and to enhance the quality of service delivery.
B. Competences associated with nursing practice and clinical decision making
7. Ability to undertake comprehensive and systematic assessments using the tools/frameworks appropriate to the patient/client taking into account relevant physical, social, cultural, psychological, spiritual and environment factors.
8. Ability to recognise and interpret signs of normal and changing health/ill health, distress, or disability in the person (assessment/diagnosis).
9. Ability to respond to patient/client needs by planning, delivering and evaluating appropriate and individualised programmes of care working in partnership with the patient/client, their carers, families and other health/social workers.
10. Ability to critically question, evaluate, interpret and synthesise a range of information and data sources to facilitate patient choice.
11. Ability to make sound clinical judgement to ensure quality standards are met and practice is evidence-bases.
C. Ability to appropriately use a range of nurse skills, interventions/activities to provide optimum care
12. Ability to maintain patient/client dignity, advocacy and confidentiality (using nursing skills, international/activities to provide optimum care).
13. Ability to practice principles of health and safety, including moving and handling, infection control; essential first aid and emergency procedures; (using nursing skills, international/activities to provide optimum care).
14. Ability to safely administer medicines and other therapies (using nursing skills, international/activities to provide optimum care).
15. Ability to consider emotional, physical and personal care, including meeting the need for comfort, nutrition, personal hygiene and enabling the person to maintain the activities necessary for daily life (using nursing skills, international/activities to provide optimum care).
16. Ability to respond personal’s needs through the life span and health/illness experience e.g. pain, life choices, revalidation, invalidity or when dying (using nursing skills, international/activities to provide optimum care).
17. Ability to inform, educate and supervise patient/carers and their families (using nursing skills, international/activities to provide optimum care).
D. Knowledge and cognitive competences (a tendency to incremental development at second cycle)
18. Knowledge of and ability to apply theories of nursing and nursing practice.
19. Knowledge of and ability to apply natural and life sciences.
20. Knowledge of and ability to apply social, health and behavioural science.
21. Knowledge of and ability to apply ethics, law and humanities.
22. Knowledge of and ability to apply technology and health care informatics.
23. Knowledge of and ability to apply international and national policies.
24. Knowledge of and ability to apply problem solving and decision making.
25. Knowledge of and ability to apply principles of research and enquiry.
E. Communication and interpersonal competences (including technology for communication)
26. Ability to communicate effectively (including the use of technology): with patients, families and social groups, including those with communication difficulties.
27. Enables patients and their carers to express their concerns and worries and can respond appropriately e.g. emotional, social, psychological, spiritual or physical.
28. Ability to appropriately represent the patient/client’s perspective and act to prevent abuse.
29. Ability to appropriately use counselling skills (communication techniques to promote patient well being).
30. Ability to identify and manage challenging behaviour (communication techniques to promote patient well being).
31. Ability to recognise anxiety, stress and depression (communication techniques to promote patient well being).
32. Ability to give emotional support and identify when specialist counselling or other interventions are needed (communication techniques to promote patient well being).
33. Ability to accurately report, record, document and refer care using appropriate technologies (communication techniques to promote patient well being).
F. Leadership, management and team competences
34. Ability to realise that patient/client well-being is achieved through the combined resources and actions of all members of the health/social care team.
35. Ability to lead and co-ordinate a team, delegating care appropriately.
36. Ability to work and communicate collaboratively and effectively with all support staff to prioritise and manage time effectively while quality standards are met.
37. Ability to assess risk and actively promote the well-being, security and safety of all people in the working environment (including themselves).
38. Critically uses tools to evaluate an audit care according to relevant quality standards.
39. Within the clinical context, ability to educate, facilitate, supervise and support health care students and other health/social care workers.
40. Awareness of the principles of health/social care funding and ability to use resources effectively.