Validating Mobilization Competencies for AF Clinical Nurses

The objectives of this study were to develop competencies for wartime and operations other than war for 46N3 Medical/Surgical Air Force nurses, to validate those competencies, and to create a matrix of educational technologies for use in education about these competencies. For the wartime and operations other than war competencies portion of the study, the sample was 109 nurses with mobilization experience. A Delphi consensus technique was used to validate the importance and the level at which those competencies should be practiced. A Web-based questionnaire was used to collect responses during the three rounds of data collection. At the conclusion of Round 3, 83% of the statements about importance achieved consensus, whereas 67% of the practice statements achieved consensus. The validated items dealt with traditional assessment and intervention skills that represented non-controversial practices. The items not achieving consensus were either more controversial or perceived as not pertinent. The summary of the findings and the list of competencies are published in Military Medicine with the following citation:

Thompson, C. R., Repko, K., & Staggers, N. (2003). A Delphi study to validate competencies required of Air Force medical surgical nurses in mobilized environments. Military Medicine, 168(8), 518-625.

Educational technologies were evaluated through literature and online reviews. Technologies considered were CD-ROM, computer simulation, virtual reality, and distance learning. The report outlines attributes, advantages, and disadvantages of the technologies.

Final report available on NTRL: https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults/titleDetail/PB2007107...