Overview

The knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nurses develop over time to meet the needs of the community we serve. Having a meaningful way to maintain ongoing competence is essential to:

  • Ensuring safe care is delivered
  • Meeting legal and regulatory standards
  • Evaluating individual and group performance
  • Enhancing performance
  • Addressing areas of challenge

Process

Ongoing competencies should reflect the ownership, empowerment, and accountability that nurses at UC Davis Health have over their practice. Competencies are collaboratively identified by unit/dept. leadership and direct-care staff to reflect the new, changing, high-risk, or problematic aspects of work in their area. Unit/dept.-level identification contributes to the ownership of competency management. Direct-care nurses are empowered to bring forth the evidence of their competence using a verification method of their choice. Unit/dept. leadership are accountable for supporting direct-care nurses in achieving our mission and ongoing competence.