Inside Looking Out: Updated Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing Practice.

BACKGROUND: The original Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing published in 2016, and updated in 2020, provides a framework for rehabilitation nursing practice. AIM: This companion, but stand-alone, article to a 2022 publication further explicates and informs the updated Competency Model from inside looking out toward an increasing application for evidence-based practice (EBP). APPROACH: An eight-member 2020 ARN Task Force used an iterative process to review the original four domains and related competencies and came to consensus for the updated model. OUTCOME: This model provides revised competency role descriptors or behaviors that guide nurses practicing at different proficiency levels in various settings. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing is a premier resource that can advance professional rehabilitation nursing and guide EBP, including evaluation, quality improvement, and research. The model describes the nurse's role on the intra/interprofessional team and fosters collaboration with other healthcare professionals to enhance the quality of life for those affected by disability and chronic illness. CONCLUSION: The domains and associated competencies of this model clarify nursing roles at different proficiency levels, and role descriptors reflect current practice, supporting advancement of the specialty practice of rehabilitation nursing well into the 21st century.

Updated Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing: Practice Applications.

BACKGROUND: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing is a lens through which nurses can view their practice; the four domains provide a template that guides that practice. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe a task force's review procedures and share the updated model. APPRAISAL PROCESS: A rehabilitation nursing task force appraised the model over the course of 1 year. REVISION OUTCOMES: The original four domains remain, with wording changes for content and clarity throughout. Notable changes include (1) new competency for Domain 1 that focuses on the understanding of the worldview of individuals who are culturally different and (2) case stories for each domain related to nurses' proficiency (beginner, intermediate, and expert). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This updated model can be used to explicate the rehabilitation nurses' role on intra/interprofessional teams, as well as provide a framework for education and staff orientation/performance evaluation. CONCLUSION: This competency model reflects the current practice and advances of the specialty practice of rehabilitation nursing.

COVID-19 and Inpatient Rehabilitation Nursing Care: Lessons Learned and Implications for the Future.

ABSTRACT: The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is impacting post-acute inpatient rehabilitation nursing practice from preadmission assessment to inpatient care delivery and transition planning. Patients with disability following COVID-19 require interventions to address respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, and psychosocial issues. The pandemic has resulted in changes to program structures and how inpatient rehabilitation facilities approach family caregiver engagement amidst visitation restrictions. Technology solutions can be utilized to reduce the patient and their family's feelings of isolation and support caregiver preparation for discharge. Nurse leaders are essential in supporting staff during this crisis through authentic presence and providing resources and training. Rehabilitation nurses are key in helping patients and families manage rehabilitation and the aftermath of COVID-19 to restore optimal functioning. In this clinical consultation, we synthesize insights learned from the COVID-19 responses at three inpatient rehabilitation facilities. We describe the impact of rehabilitation nursing interventions to improve outcomes for patients with COVID-19 and their caregivers.

The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing.

BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation nursing is practiced in various settings along the healthcare continuum. No framework is noted in the literature that defines the necessary competencies of the rehabilitation nurse. PURPOSE: To develop a Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing and its application to clinical and educational practice. METHOD/DESIGN: A seven-member Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) task force was convened; conducted a literature review, reviewed current and historical ARN documents, including the Strategic Plan, and developed a Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing practice. FINDINGS: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing delineates four domains of rehabilitation nursing practice and essential role competencies. CONCLUSION: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing addresses this diverse specialty practice in the current healthcare arena. This framework can be used to guide nurses practicing at different levels of proficiency in various settings. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The Competency Model can be used as a structure for staff orientation, evaluation tools, clinical ladder components, role descriptions and rehabilitation nursing courses.

Increase participation in your local chapter using technology.

Membership in a professional nursing organization allow nurses to interact with one another and can promote a higher level of excellence in patient care. This is especially important during a time when nurses are faced with many challenges from patients, families, and healthcare organizations. The rehabilitation nurses in South Dakota realized the importance of membership in the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), however, did not have a local chapter due to the large distances separating the rehabilitation facilities. They organized a chapter uniting nurses hundreds of miles from one another using teleconference technology. Using technology may be a way to organize local chapters and provide nurses with ongoing support and learning opportunities.