Core Competencies of Clinical (Nurse Practitioner)
In a typical healthcare system, nursing practitioners perform the actual provision of healthcare services to the patients. There are particular competencies required for any nurse practitioner to deliver quality services to patients and the general healthcare industry. Such competencies undergo periodical reviews to guarantee their practicality and convenience to the health practitioners. It is important to note that all the competencies revolve around the provision of quality and safe healthcare services (NONPF, 2013).
One of the core competencies required from nurse practitioners is the acquisition of relevant scientific skills related to nursing. The scientific skills enable nurses to analyze data and health test evidence obtained from patients (National League for Nursing, 2005). The scientific competency is also enabling a practicing nurse to integrate and harmonize science and humanities in the manner that befits nursing science. Scientific competency is also important in helping practicing nurses to develop proper practice approaches with regard to the theory, research, and knowledge about healthcare (AONE, 2005).
Another core competency for a nurse practitioner is proper leadership skills capable of addressing crucial institutional challenges. Good leadership skills are important in enhancing effective communication, collaboration, coordination, understanding, and tranquility among other practitioners, patients, and even stakeholders in the healthcare industry (King & Gerard 2013). Adherence to the provision of quality service is also a core competency for nurse practitioners. Concurrently, quality for nurse practitioners entails the use of the best medical evidence to improve the quality of nursing practice. In addition, quality covers the evaluation of the organizational structure to identify and correct inefficiencies that sabotage good nursing practice.
Technological and information literacy are also important competencies for a nurse practitioner. These competencies are essential in helping a nurse determine and integrate appropriate technologies with nursing knowledge in a manner that improves healthcare services. Technological literacy also allows nurse practitioners to translate scientific and technological health information as to suitable for various patients (Mirr & Zwygart-Stauffacher, 2010). Furthermore, information literacy is vital in helping a nurse practitioner in succeeding in situations requiring complex decision-making. A nurse practitioner should also exhibit proper ethical competency, which is important in the integration, evaluation, and application of ethical principles in making crucial decisions.
Core Competencies of Nurse Educators
Nurse educators are also important components of the healthcare system considering that they provide appropriate knowledge that is crucial in preparing nurses. Nurse educators, like other participants in the field of healthcare, need to exhibit certain competencies. One of the core competencies of nurse educators is the facilitation of the learning process. It is the responsibility of nurse educators to create a sustainable environment for learning nursing concepts and principles for all nurses regardless of their diverse backgrounds (Thomas & Carbtree et. al, 2012). Nurse educators should also determine and provide appropriate learning materials, technologies, relationships as well as employ and teach proper skills.
Another core competency of a nurse educator concerns ability to employ and use appropriate evaluation and assessment strategies to measure the progress of the learners. In exercising this competency, a nurse educator should provide constructive, thoughtful, and timely responses to the learners. It is also competent for a nurse educator to conduct quality improvement exercises to heighten the quality of education delivered. As argued by King and Gerard (2013), nurse educators should regularly attend professional development conventions to improve the effectiveness of their roles. Moreover, it is competent for nurse educators to act as agents and leaders of change in their environments of work. They should act as role models displaying important values and qualities for learners to emulate and later practice in their stations of work. Nurse educators should accept, encourage, facilitate innovations, and set as well as implement strategies geared towards achieving important institutional changes.
Analysis of Similarities and Differences in the Implementation of the Competencies
Implementation of leadership competencies by both nurse practitioners and nurse educators is similar. In both levels, the professionals lead by example and encourage colleagues to emulate and exercise the same practices. Implementation of effective leadership skills requires that both professionals employ effective and open communication skills to enable free sharing and exchange of ideas. In addition, the integration of technologies and nursing principles by nurse practitioners relies on the nursing knowledge exhibited by an individual. Nurse educator also relies on knowledge about the profession to select, integrate and teach learners about any technology relevant to the field. Both nurse practitioners and nurse educators should be attending professional conventions to update with new developments in their specific areas of specialization.
One difference is that nurse practitioners implement quality through practice, assessment, and evaluation of patients’ response to treatment and smooth operation in a given healthcare institution. Nurse educators on the other hand rely on the performance of learners after conducting assessment and evaluation exercises to implement quality. The implantation of ethical practices by nurse practitioners focuses on the services provided to patients and interaction with other stakeholders in the healthcare sector. According to Mirr & Zwygart-Stauffacher (2010), nurse educators on the other hand implement ethical responsibilities by interacting with learners and other stakeholders in the education and training sector.
References
AONE. (2005). The AONE nurse executive competencies. Web.
King, C. & Gerard, S. (2013). Clinical nurse leader certification review. New York: Springer.
Mirr, J. & Zwygart-Stauffacher, M. (2010). Advanced practice nursing: Core concepts for professional role development. New York: Springer.
National League for Nursing. (2005). Core Competencies of Nurse Educators With Task Statements. Web.
NONPF. (2013). Competencies for Nurse Practitioners. Web.
Thomas, A., Carbtree, M., Delaney, K., Dumas, M. et al. (2012). Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies. Web.