Designing and Implementing an Educational Support Program to Advance Home-Health Care Nurses from Competent to Proficient

Abstract

　Objective：To evaluate a trial educational support program for home-health care nurses to become from competent to proficient and identify areas of program refinement.

　Methods：Competencies were derived from six growth categories toward proficient that home-health care nurses are expected to achieve after reaching a competent, as identified in a previous study. Achievement evaluation criteria were developed based on a four-level rubric.

A trial educational support program was created based on these criteria and administered to competent home-health care nurses and station managers.

　Results：Competent nurses confirmed their achievement levels and identified future developmental challenges. The rubric-based achievement evaluation criteria also guided the competent nurses and their managers.

　Conclusion：The trial of the program reaffirmed the diverse backgrounds of home-health care nurses and highlighted the significance of the standardized and on-the-job training programs, where nurses address their individual challenges in daily practice. Future considerations include refining the achievement evaluation criteria, verifying the program’s implementation period, and modifying the program to enhance its practicality and usability for practitioners.