Setting the direction : A development framework supporting nursing practice skills and competencies in acute medical assessment units (AMAUs) and medical assessment units (MAUs)

摘要

Much of the remodelling of the acute medicine services has been medically or organisationally driven and theudrole of the nurse in AMAU1ud has not been strategically focussed upon. To compound this, there is limited literatureudavailable nationally and internationally to support and guide the development of the AMAU nurse’s role, function,udscope, skills and competencies. No acute medicine nursing skills and competencies directory exists in Ireland. Asudacute medicine nursing evolves in this rapidly growing medical care specialty, there is a recognised need for theuddevelopment of additional clinical expertise among the acute medicine nurses to address care needs, given theudacuity of patients presenting, the high volume, quick turnover and care management within the assessment phase.udDeveloping core, expanding and advancing nursing skills and competencies in acute medicine requires an evidenceudbased development framework skills and competencies directory, underpinned and rooted in the definitions, modelsudand theories of the nursing profession. The need to provide safe, quality nursing care within this emerging areaudprovided the impetus for the development of this first national development framework, skills and competenciesuddirectory.udA guiding principle of the development of the acute medicine nursing development framework was the codesignudwith frontline nursing staff and their nurse managers. The co-design methodology was achieved throughudthe workings of the Acute Medicine Nursing Interest Group (AMNIG), established in 2012. The consultationudand communication process enabled AMNIG members to explore, define and redefine the key elements of acuteudmedicine nursing as the group learned more and the AMAUs developed. The methods of data collection utilised toudinform the development framework