A Collaboration to Unify Emergency Nurse Practitioner Competencies

Objective: : Prior to 2021, two national professional organizations had derived and published separate emergency nurse practitioner (ENP) competency frameworks. Analysis of the 2019 Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) competencies and the 2018 American Association of Emergency Nurse Practitioners (AAENP) practice standards was needed due to the variability that existed in the delineation of, and language used in the two competency frameworks. With the implementation of an ENP academic program validation process, and with the shift toward a competency-based approach in nursing education, confusion existed around which competency model should be translated into learning objectives for ENP curricula.

EBP Model:: Iowa Model

Setting:: The analysis was performed within two national professional nursing organizations that represent nurse practitioners working in emergency care settings.

Participants:: Six subject matter experts appointed by two national professional organizations led this project. All of the subject matter experts work primarily in academic roles at leading universities as well as advanced practice roles in the clinical setting.

Methods: : In response to a national call for collaboration to advance the ENP specialty, two national organizations representing ENPs launched the ENP Competencies Workgroup. The workgroup mapped equivalent, identical, or similar across the two distinct competency frameworks. The crosswalk was validated by subject matter experts.

Outcomes:: The crosswalk analysis delineated a single set of ENP Competencies that establish a common taxonomy and competency framework supporting a common language not only within nursing, but among other health professions, the public, and employers. They represent the first ENP competencies to be endorsed by NONPF.

Implications:: The competencies have implications for academic and fellowship curricula, continuing education, and utilization of ENPs in the workforce to the full scope of their education. This new competency model supports academic programs as they move toward competency-based education that is in alignment with the NONPF Core Competencies. These competencies were developed with a focus on the following documents: The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity; The NONPF nurse practitioner core competencies content, and the new AACN Essentials.