Nurse Practitioner Delphi Study: Competencies for Practice in Emergency Care

IntroductionThe Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) convened a Nurse Practitioner (NP) Validation Work Team and conducted a Delphi study to verify and gain consensus on professional and clinical competencies for NPs in emergency care. This document describes entry-level competencies for NPs practicing in emergency care, regardless of setting.MethodsA Delphi study was conducted from September 2007 to May 2008 with a national sample of credentialed NPs in emergency care. Using online questionnaires, three rounds were sent to the NPs to reach group consensus. Participants were asked to rate the importance and frequency of performance for each competency as well as list competencies they felt were not addressed in the questionnaires.ResultsThe list of competencies was reduced from 111 to 83. In 2008, a Consensus Panel Meeting was convened to validate the Delphi study findings and gain consensus from amultidisciplinary group of stakeholders. Several organizationsparticipated in the meeting (ie, AAEM, AANP, AACN, ACEP, ACNP, ANA, ANCC, BCEN, CCNE, NCSBN, andNONPF). The stakeholders approved a list of 60 entry-levelcompetencies.DiscussionThere are implications for NPs in the following areas: 1) education, for use in academic settings as a foundation for curricula; 2) practice, emphasizing the unique aspects of practice for the NP in emergency care; and 3) research, including the development of advanced competencies for NPs in emergency care.