Research-Informed Design Principles in the Development of Professional Competency Frameworks: A Systematic Review

Developing a professional competence framework for the master of nursing specialist degree program in China: A modified Delphi study

Competency framework development in health professions has downstream implications for all relevant stakeholders, from the professionals themselves, to organisations, and most importantly end users of services. However, there is little guidance related to what stakeholders might be involved in the competency development process, and when. This review aimed to systematically review literature related to competency framework development methodology in health, to identify the breadth and purpose of key stakeholders commonly involved in the process. Studies were identified using five electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and ERIC) and a search of websites of organisations involved in curriculum or regulation using keywords related to competency frameworks. The total yield from all databases was 10,625 results, with 73 articles included in the final review. Most articles were from Australia (30%) and were conducted in the nursing (34%) profession. Unsurprisingly, practitioners (86%) and academics (75%) were typically engaged as stakeholders in competency framework development. While many competency frameworks were described as patient-focused, only 14 (19%) studies elected to include service users as stakeholders. Similarly, despite the multi-disciplinary focus described in some frameworks, only nine (12%) studies involved practitioners from other professions. Limiting the conceptualisation of competence to that determined by members of the profession itself may not provide the depth of insight required to capture the complexity of healthcare and address the needs of important stakeholder groups. Future methodology should attempt to engage a variety of relevant stakeholders such as external health professions and the community to match professional education to health service demands.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=128350

Technical competency is one of the basic needs of a civil engineer to ensure a construction project meets quality, cost, time and compliance requirements. This paper represents the comparative overview of technical competency of civil engineers on the global; Asian and Malaysian perspective. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using past five years of publications by peer reviewed journals, industry reports and professional competency frameworks. The result clearly indicates that although global frameworks, including the ASCE Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (CEBoK) and the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC), provide very effective directions on how to incorporate technical, professional, and ethical skills. Asian nations such as Japan, Korea, China, and India among others are in the process of enhancing their elements by not only encompassing digital transformation and sustainability as an essential element of competencies while Malaysia has embraced other well-structured practices, including the Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP) and the Professional Competency Examination (PCE). The wearer of review suggests the integration of a hybrid framework to combine international standards with national goals, with a focus on digital literacy, sustainability and access to training in an equitable manner.

Electronic portfolios become increasingly visible in the workplace. Students graduate with portfolios and are in a good position to continue with portfolio practices. Additionally, organizational or professional competency frameworks and registration requirements lend themselves to be evidenced by portfolios. Waitematā District Health Board, the largest in Aotearoa New Zealand, piloted an electronic portfolio at the end of 2018 with 90 nurses and started implementing the new ePortfolio organisation-wide for nurses in 2019.
 In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the pilot and position it within the organisation's commitment to learning and development. We will outline the advantages for all involved: nurses, peers, managers, and assessors, and discuss the challenges and future directions for the initiative.
 Early results indicate that the portfolios allow for a shift in conversation with staff and in the development of practice. They encourage nurses to consider additional training and studies to advance in their careers and have the evidence available to discuss with their manager to set clear goals.
 The nurses go full circle: They started out with their studies, became professionals, and are going back to university for postgraduate studies documenting their learning in portfolios along the way. Portfolios in this context support lifelong learning and make that learning visible to the individual nurses and their organisation.

Background Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) have become established professionals in many healthcare systems. APNs combine nursing with medical expertise, bridging the boundaries of traditional professions in nursing and medicine. This study focuses on the content of professional competency frameworks for APNs in different countries to determine (1) how these frameworks define the competencies of APNs and (2) address the division of tasks between APNs and physicians. Methods An inductive content analysis is conducted of the competency frameworks for APNs in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results In Belgium, the Netherlands and the US, the framework is based on an existing model, while in Canada and UK, frameworks do not refer to a model. The analysis revealed twelve generic competency domains for APNs: 1. Clinical Care in Practice, 2. Independent Practitioner, 3. Professional Attitude, 4. Scientific Research & Evidence-Based Practice Care, 5. Leadership, 6. Health Promotion and Public Healthcare, 7. Communication and Collaboration, 8. Organisation of Care and Policy, 9. Support of Self-Management and Patient Empowerment, 10. Quality and Safety of Care, 11. Teaching and (continuing) Education, 12. Technology and E-Health. There are some differences in explicitly to which high-risk procedures are described per country. The frameworks provide limited descriptions of task division and delegation from physicians to APNs, except for the frameworks from Belgium and the Netherlands. Conclusions Despite variations in the basis of professional competency frameworks per country and country-specific influences, twelve generic competency domains with similar competencies were identified. It is recommended to stimulate the development of a global standardised competency framework for APNs, including clear descriptions of task division and delegation, to optimise their role in delivering high-quality healthcare services. Key messages • Similar APN competency expectations suggest the need for an international competency framework, including roles and tasks for APNs, to function as a basis for individual country frameworks. • Nursing associations can use this study to learn from other countries and enhance their development of country-specific competency frameworks for advanced practice nurses.

Background: Competency frameworks play a crucial role in guiding the education and training of doctoral candidates in diagnostic healthcare Fields. This scoping review aims to systematically map the existing literature on the development of competency frameworks and competency profiles tailored for doctoral-level education in diagnostic healthcare professions, particularly Pathology. Methodology: The Arksey and O’Malley framework was applied to undertake this scoping review. A comprehensive search strategy was developed using a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) terms and keywords related to competency frameworks, clinical competence, professional competence, diagnostic healthcare profession, doctoral education, and synonyms. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched, along with targeted searches of grey literature sources like Google scholar. We screened studies for inclusion by title and abstract, and we included studies of any type that described the development of a competency profile/framework for doctoral candidates in a Diagnostic healthcare profession. Data compilation was qualitative. Results: The total records identified from the databases were n=204,351. Out of these the records removed before screening were Duplicate records removed (n =137,300). Records marked as ineligible by automation tools (n =51030), Records removed for other reasons (n =12,521). Records screened were n=3500. Based on the exclusion criteria n=3253 records were excluded. Reports which could not be retrieved were n=122. Finally, n=135 reports were assessing for eligibility and out of these n=71 were excluded from Allied Health Sciences and n=64 were excluded because they focused primarily on competencies of Nursing students. Finally, n=21 studies were included in the scoping review and the findings were charted. Conclusion: We observed significant variation within the conduct and reporting of the competency framework development process. While some variation can be expected given the differences across and within medical professions, our results suggest there is some difficulty in determining whether methods were fit-for-purpose, and therefore in making determinations regarding the appropriateness of the development process. This uncertainty may unwillingly create and legitimize uncertain or artificial outcomes. There is a need for improved guidance in the process for developing and reporting competency frameworks.

Augmented Reality (AR) is growing rapidly and becoming a mature and robust technology, which combines virtual information with the real environment and real-time performance. It is important to ensure the acceptance and success of augmented reality systems. With the growth of elderly users, evidence shows potential trends for AR systems to support the elderly, including transport, ageing in place, entertainment and training. However, there is a lack of research to provide the theoretical framework or AR design principles to support designers when developing suitable AR applications for specific populations (e.g. older people). In my PhD thesis, I will focus on the possibility of developing and applying AR design principles to support the design of applications that address older people's requirements. In this paper, I first discuss the architecture of augmented reality and identify the relationship between different elements. Secondly, the relevant literature has been reviewed in terms of design challenges of AR and design principles. Thirdly, I formulate the five initial design principles as the fundamental work of my PhD. It is expected that design principles could help AR designers to explore quality design alternatives, which could potentially benefit the ageing population. Fourthly, I identify the AR pillbox as an example to explain how design principles can be applied to AR applications. In terms of the methodology, preparation, refinement and validation are the three main stages to achieve the research goal. Preparation stage aims to generate the preliminary AR design principles and identify the relevant scenarios that might assist the designers to understand the principles and explore the design alternatives. In the stages of refinement, a half-day workshop has been conducted to explore different design issues based on different scenarios and refine the preliminary design principles. After that, a new set of design principles will be formulated. The final stage is to validate the effectiveness of new design principles based on the previous workshop's feedback.

ABSTRACTObjectives:to develop a framework of core competencies for occupational health nurses based on their professional experience.Methods:an exploratory qualitative study, carried out with occupational health nurses linked to Brazilian and multinational companies, with data collection from January to May 2021, through an electronic form (sociodemographic data), followed by a semi-structured interview. Inductive thematic data analysis was carried out. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee.Results:eight core professional competencies for occupational health nurses were identified: legal; effective communication; staff and service management; relational; improvement of work processes; continuing education; health and safety; and research. Their knowledge and skills were synthesized in a competency framework.Final Considerations:the construction of a framework for occupational health nurses should guide managers and training centers in improving these professionals’ knowledge and skills within organizations and academia, aiming at changing their profile and professional recognition.

Maker education is an instructional approach that promotes creative thinking and enables self-directed learning through production-centered activities. It has been applied across various fields. This study aims to integrate maker education with music composition activities using AI-based programs, and to develop instructional design principles that support the effective implementation of such lessons in school settings. To achieve this, a design and development research method was employed. Initial design principles were derived through a review of previous studies, and two rounds of expert validation were conducted to ensure the validity of the proposed principles. The final instructional design principles consist of six design components—(1) creative problem-solving, (2) collaborative music composition, (3) generation of musical ideas, (4) self-directed learning, (5) establishment of maker spaces, and (6) assessment and analysis of the learning process—along with ten design principles and twenty detailed sub-guidelines. This study explores new possibilities by integrating music composition with maker education and promotes students' creative thinking and collaboration through the use of artificial intelligence. Moreover, by systematically designing AI-based music composition maker classes and developing specific guidelines to support them, this research contributes to enhancing the applicability of maker education in real educational contexts.

The aim of the study was to develop a comprehensive competency framework for advanced practice nurses in Belgium. A co-design development process was conducted. This study consisted of two consecutive stages (November 2020-December 2021): (1) developing a competency framework for advanced practice nurses in Belgium by the research team, based on literature and (2) group discussions or interviews with and written feedback from key stakeholders. 11 group discussions and seven individual interviews were conducted with various stakeholder groups with a total of 117 participants. A comprehensive competency framework containing 31 key competencies and 120 enabling competencies was developed based on the Canadian Medical Education Directions for Specialists Competency Framework. These competencies were grouped into seven roles: clinical expert and therapist, organizer of quality care and leader in innovation, professional and clinical leader, collaborator, researcher, communicator and health promoter. The developed competency framework has resemblance to other international frameworks. This framework emphasized the independent role of the advanced practice nurse and provided guidance in a clear task division and delegation to other professionals. It can provide a solid foundation for delivering high-quality, patient-centred care by advanced practice nurses in the years to come. This competency framework can guide further development of advanced practice nursing education in Belgium and represents a starting point for future evaluation of its feasibility and usability in education and clinical practice. Advanced practice nurses and healthcare managers can also use the framework as an instrument for personal and professional development, performance appraisal, and further alignment of these function profiles in clinical practice. Finally, this framework can inform and guide policymakers towards legal recognition of advanced practice nursing in Belgium and inspire the development of advanced practice nursing profiles in countries where these profiles are still emerging. What problem did the study address? The absence of a detailed competency framework for advanced practice nurses complicates legal recognition, role clarification and implementation in practice in Belgium. A rigorously developed competency framework could clarify which competencies to integrate in future advanced practice nursing education, mentorship programs and practice. What were the main findings? The competency framework outlined seven roles for advanced practice nurses: clinical expert and therapist, organizer of quality care and leader in innovation, professional and clinical leader, collaborator, researcher, communicator, and health promoter. Differentiation from other expert nursing profiles and clinical autonomy of advanced practice nurses were pivotal. Where and on whom will the research have impact? The comprehensive competency framework for advanced practice nurses and the collaborative methodology used can inspire other countries where these profiles are still emerging. The competency framework can be used as an instrument for role clarification, performance appraisals, continuous professional development, and professional (e-)portfolios. The competency framework can guide policymakers when establishing Belgian's legal framework for advanced practice nurses. The authors have adhered to CONFERD-HP: recommendations for reporting COmpeteNcy FramEwoRk Development in health professions. No patient or public contribution in the design of the study. A patient advisory panel commented on the developed competency framework.

BackgroundThe duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic depends in a large part on individual and societal actions which is influenced by the quality and salience of the information to which they are exposed. Unfortunately, COVID-19 misinformation has proliferated. To date, no systematic efforts have been made to evaluate interventions that mitigate COVID-19-related misinformation. We plan to conduct a scoping review that seeks to fill several of the gaps in the current knowledge of interventions that mitigate COVID-19-related misinformation.MethodsA scoping review focusing on interventions that mitigate COVID-19 misinformation will be conducted. We will search (from January 2020 onwards) MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Africa-Wide Information, Global Health, WHO Global Literature on Coronavirus Disease Database, WHO Global Index Medicus, and Sociological s. Gray literature will be identified using Disaster Lit, Google Scholar, Open Science Framework, governmental websites, and preprint servers (e.g., EuropePMC, PsyArXiv, MedRxiv, JMIR Preprints). Study selection will conform to Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers’ Manual 2020 Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews. Only English language, original studies will be considered for inclusion. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. A narrative summary of findings will be conducted. Data analysis will involve quantitative (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative (e.g., content and thematic analysis) methods.DiscussionOriginal research is urgently needed to design interventions to mitigate COVID-19 misinformation. The planned scoping review will help to address this gap.Systematic review registrationsSystematic Review Registration: Open Science Framework (osf/io/etw9d).

ABSTRACTIn this poster, we report the findings of an investigation of 28 LIS associations' DEI efforts as evidenced through their websites. The DEI efforts were documented in terms of whether DEI was mentioned in associations' missions and goals, their code of conducts, and their competency frameworks, whether the associations provided DEI definitions, whether there were position statements, whether there were dedicated units leading the DEI efforts, whether there were specific DEI resources, and whether there were relevant contents on the homepage or as menu items. While we discovered the common patterns of DEI practice, we also uncovered notable gaps. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of associations in promoting and fostering DEI, it also shows the need for a consistent and visible effort for LIS associations to lead their professional community toward a robust work in DEI and developing a DEI competency framework for LIS professionals.

BackgroundTo adequately prepare graduates for the dynamic demands of paramedic practice, adopting a contemporary educational approach is essential. This involves collaborating to identify crucial competencies through input from industry stakeholders, experienced practitioners, and discipline-specific experts. Accreditation assumes a central role within this framework, serving as a cornerstone to ensure that paramedicine curricula align with paramedics' diverse and evolving professional roles.MethodsA narrative review of the literature and a directed search of grey literature were performed to identify specific developments in paramedicine competencies and scope of practice and mapped to the professional capabilities published by the Paramedicine Board of Australia. In determining a competency map and accreditation’s role in a competency framework specific to current and evolving paramedic practice, key documents were analysed using a qualitative approach based on content analysis to identify common traits among documents, countries and other professions.ResultsThe review process identified 278 themes that were further allocated to 22 major analytical groupings. These groupings could further be mapped to previously reported cognitive, technical, integrative, context, relationship, affective/moral competencies and habits of mind. At the same time, the highest-rated groupings were key competencies of intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communications, team-based approach and situational awareness. Two groups were represented in the literature but not in the professional capabilities, namely Health and Social continuum and self-directed practice.ConclusionsThis review highlights the importance of measuring and validating the professional capabilities of Paramedicine Practitioners. The study explores various metrics and competency frameworks used to assess competency, comparing them against national accreditation schemes' professional capability standards. The findings suggest that accreditation frameworks play a crucial role in improving the quality of paramedicine practice, encompassing intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communication, teamwork, and situational awareness.

A multi-perspective approach to developing the Saudi Health Informatics Competency Framework

This paper describes the development of application‐oriented competency frameworks using the example of a project to develop such a framework for existing study programs in the domain of business and law at a Swiss university of applied sciences. Competency frameworks define study program goals on different achievement levels. Using analysis of typical work scenarios for graduates and employer expectations as a starting point, competencies were formulated that represent what students should be able to demonstrate by the end of their studies. A series of structured interviews were conducted with employers to validate the competency frameworks. The findings show that both professional and generic competencies are central to the employability of graduates. While professional competency is regarded as a basic requirement, generic competency allows graduates to distinguish themselves from other candidates both when starting their work life and later when pursuing and advancing their career. The development of competency frameworks forms the basis for the assessment of four dimensions: professional, methodological, social, and self‐competencies; an additional aim is the further development of teaching and learning activities.