Table 4.
Table illustrating from highest to lowest the skills ‘items’ taught in nursing programmes in Australia
| Skill Area | Skill Grouping | Universities (n = 38) | Items (n = 1376) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Medications and IV products (e.g. safe and appropriate administration of medications) | Clinician | 38 | 235 |
| 2. Understanding the different roles of RNs in different treatment or care settings (e.g. aged care, rural and remote, acute, mental health, etc) | Clinician | 37 | 206 |
| 4. Clinical monitoring and management - Use of assessment tools (e.g. Haemodynamic/respiratory assessment, MMSE, RUDAS, etc.) all forms of assessment are included here. | Clinician | 38 | 205 |
| 9. Clinical interventions – preparing, assisting after care (investigations/surgery/diagnostic) | Clinician | 32 | 100 |
| 16. Preventing risk and promoting safety – duty of care (e.g. strategies for reducing risk, risk assessment, etc. – promoting self-care) | Manager | 34 | 99 |
| 6. Personal care – ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care of clients across a range of settings using a holistic, comprehensive nursing model | Clinician | 38 | 96 |
| 10. Professional nursing behaviours - includes collaborative approaches to care (e.g. advocacy, scope of practice, being aware of one’s self, etc.) | Clinician | 32 | 66 |
| 7. Mental health nursing care (e.g. application of assessment tools and care strategies and interventions) | Clinician | 31 | 61 |
| 12. Dealing with emotional and bereaved people (e.g. breaking bad news, dealing with anger, etc.) | Clinician | 22 | 35 |
| 23. Communication and documentation i.e. verbal including handovers and non-verbal including documentation. | Communicator | 32 | 28 |
| 8. Knowledge of key nursing implications of common medical/surgical patient presentations | Clinician | 23 | 26 |
| 11. Privacy and dignity (e.g. culturally acceptable practice, personal space, respectful) | Clinician | 14 | 26 |
| 14. Coordinating skills regarding nursing process – uses a range of appropriate assessment strategies and skills across a range of settings. | Manager | 24 | 26 |
| 5. Technology and Informatics (e.g. IVI Management systems, patient information systems, etc.) | Clinician | 29 | 23 |
| 1. Planning of nursing care (e.g. range of varied settings/client’s needs) | Clinician | 29 | 22 |
| 17. Case manager (e.g. coordination of care, crisis/emergency situation management, etc.). | Manager | 18 | 22 |
| 21. Therapeutic nursing behaviours/respectful of personal space. | Communicator | 28 | 21 |
| 26. Demonstrates teaching/educator skills (e.g. utilising appropriate teaching and learning strategies in practice). | Educator | 20 | 16 |
| 25. Critical analysis and reflective thinking (e.g. use of reflection and critical incidents, evidence of linking theory to practice). | Researcher | 13 | 9 |
| 15. Leadership skills. | Manager | 4 | 8 |
| 22. Efficient and effective communication (e.g. with professionals in other disciplines). | Communicator | 3 | 8 |
| 18. Teamwork and multidisciplinary team working. | Manager | 13 | 6 |
| 13. Dementia related skills (e.g. behavioural and psychosocial symptoms of dementia). | Clinician | 4 | 4 |
| 19. Supervisory skills. | Manager | 1 | 4 |
| 20. Cultural competence (e.g. cross-cultural care, culturally safe and appropriate practice). | Communicator | 4 | 4 |
| 24. Learner/evidence based practitioner (e.g. appropriate application of practice evidence). | Researcher | 4 | 4 |
| 27. Acts as a resource. | Educator | 4 | 4 |
| 28. Promotes self-care (e.g. specific gender and lifespan related information and strategies). | Educator | 7 | 4 |
| 29. Demonstrates behaviour conducive to learning (e.g. approachable and supportive). | Educator | 5 | 4 |
| 30. Learning and developmental culture – learning environment (e.g. relates to an environment conducive to learning and personal and professional growth as a new graduate). | Educator | 5 | 4 |