Baseline Indicators and Implementation Strategies in a Statewide Correctional Nurse Competencies Program: Mid-Year Report.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This 3-year, public-academic workforce development project aimed to establish indicators for quality correctional nursing care to empirically test the translation of correctional nursing standards into practical and applied competencies. METHOD: Approaches to document indicators and achieve implementation of a correctional nurse competency system include (a) knowledge transfer and exchange, (b) system mapping, (c) adherence to implementation plan and strategy, and (d) practice-based action research. RESULTS: Indicators were established. Twenty-five percent (n = 111) of nurses maintained clinical credentials beyond the basic requirements; 86% (n = 381) of nurses received continuing nursing education certificates, 98% (n = 434) of nurses were satisfied with the program, and 43% (n = 9,052) of inmate/patients were satisfied with clinical care. Quality ratings of program educators averaged 4.79 on a 5-point scale. CONCLUSION: Innovation is supported by adding continuous improvement components to the implementation of a correctional nurse competency system effort. Team members' consensus decision making enabled them to apply their domain-specific knowledge to assess the success of the implementation strategy.