Evaluating Practitioner Training to Improve Competencies and Organizational Practices for Engaging Fathers in Parenting Interventions.

Fathers are consistently underrepresented in parenting interventions and practitioners are an important target for change in interventions to enhance father engagement. This research examined the effects of two practitioner training programs in improving practitioner rated competencies and organizational father-inclusive practices. Two studies were conducted, each with a single group, repeated measures (pre, post and 2-month follow-up) design. Study 1 (N = 233) examined the outcomes of face-to-face training in improving practitioner ratings of competencies in engaging fathers, perceived effectiveness and use of father engagement strategies, organizational practices and rates of father engagement. Study 2 (N = 356) examined online training using the same outcome measures. Practitioners in both training formats improved in their competencies, organizational practices and rates of father engagement over time, yet those in the online format deteriorated in three competencies from post-training to follow-up. The implications for delivering practitioner training programs to enhance competencies and rates of father engagement are discussed.

An integrative review of nurse practitioner practice and its relationship to the core competencies.

BACKGROUND: Competency based education (CBE) has been suggested for nurse practitioner (NP) education reform. For this to occur, competencies should reflect the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that NPs need for independent practice. PURPOSE: This integrative review examined the general practice activities of NPs across all population foci to determine the extent to which these activities are reflected in current NP competencies. METHOD: Using the Whittemore and Knafl (2005) integrative review method, 17 studies that focused on NP practice between 2008 and 2018 were retrieved from three electronic databases. These studies were evaluated, analyzed and synthesized for themes. Afterwards the themes were compared with seven sets of current NP core competencies. RESULTS: The themes for NP practice activities were direct and indirect patient care activities with a majority of NP time spent performing direct patient care activities. However, only 14% of the NP core competencies reflected these direct care activities. CONCLUSION: In order to successfully implement CBE, a need exists for the NP core competencies to reflect current NP practice.

Application of Curriculum Mapping Concepts to Integrate Multidisciplinary Competencies in the Care of Older Adults in Graduate Nurse Practitioner Curricula.

The number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to more than double over the next four decades and to equal nearly one-fourth of the entire population by 2060. Recognizing that the health care workforce in the United States is not sufficiently prepared to meet the care needs of this growing population, the National Academy of Medicine has recommended curricular enhancements for health professional educational programs. To meet this challenge, the University of South Florida College of Nursing applied curriculum mapping principles and concepts to examine and align Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program curricula for congruence with Partnership for Health in Aging multidisciplinary geriatric competencies. Through this process, we developed a geriatric-specific curriculum map and threaded geriatric-specific content, learning experiences, and learning assessment strategies to promote attainment of all 23 competencies. Given the growing role that nurse practitioners are projected to play in the delivery of primary care for older adults in the future, it is imperative that colleges and schools of nursing provide students with learning experiences to support attainment of the knowledge and skills graduates will need to care for older adults in practice. The techniques and strategies described here represent our approach.