nursingmanagement.org

Volume 12 Issue 8

Design, Implementation, and Adaptation of a Tutoring Program for the Competency Development of New Nurses in a Hospital Emergency Department

Marta Manero-Solanas,Noelia Navamuel-Castillo,Silvia Garcés-Horna,Nieves López-Ibort,Carmen Angustias Gómez-Baca andAna Gascón-Catalán
1Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
2Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
3Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
4Departamento de Fisiatría y Enfermería, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
 
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Abstract

The healthcare environment faced by nurses is complex, with high workloads and situations of high comorbidity. The integration of nurses into the work environment is a cause for concern, and improvements are sought for their incorporation into the workforce. The benefits of mentoring programs are described not only for nurses but also for patients with safer practices and benefits for the institution due to the increased commitment of its professionals. A methodological article that illustrates the complete process to design and implement a tutoring program for new nurses in an emergency department is presented. The competency profile required for the figure of tutor was developed, including the steps followed for the development of the program and the structure and phases of which it is composed, as well as the validation of the evaluation instruments of the process. A strength was the participation of experts during the in-depth analysis of the competency profile, as well as in the adaptation of the evaluation items, which endorses the pertinence, relevance, usefulness, and clarity of the content of this program. The transparency in this methodology makes it possible to follow the steps for its reproduction and applicability in other hospitals.
Keywords: methodological approach; mentoring; clinical nurse; competence; professional development; self-assessment; evaluation