BACKGROUND: Clinicians from multiple professional backgrounds are increasingly using point-of-care ultrasound in clinical practice. Performing ultrasound is a complex skill, and training is required to ensure competency and patient safety. There is a lack of skilled trainers within health professions to meet this increasing educational demand. The role of sonographers in educating other health professionals in point-of-care ultrasound has not yet been well defined. Sonographers can provide ultrasound education interprofessionally, if equipped with appropriate clinical knowledge and educational skills.
METHODS: A Delphi consensus study was conducted to define the knowledge, skills and attributes required of sonographers teaching point-of-care ultrasound to other health professionals in Australia and New Zealand. Health professionals with subject matter expertise in the leadership, facilitation, and delivery of ultrasound education by sonographers were invited to participate.
RESULTS: There were 72 expert participants in survey round one, and 49 in round two. Participants included physicians, sonographers, and other health professionals. Consensus was reached on 31 competency items for sonographers teaching ultrasound interprofessionally, with agreement of greater than 94% reached by participants.
CONCLUSIONS: This consensus study has defined the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for sonographer competence in point-of-care ultrasound education. This is an important step to developing a training pathway for sonographers engaging in this emerging area.

BACKGROUND: The core competency of trauma advanced practice nurses (APNs) is directly related to the quality of trauma nursing work.
OBJECTIVE: To develop an instrument to measure trauma APNs\' core competency and examine its psychometric properties.
METHODS: A cross-sectional psychometric validation study.
METHODS: A total of 762 trauma nurses recruited from several tertiary hospitals in 14 different provinces of China between June 2023 and May 2024 provided valid data for analysis.
METHODS: The Simplified Chinese Trauma Advanced Practice Nurses\' Core Competency Scale (TAPNCCS-SC) was developed through five steps. Step 1) Creation of the operational definition: Based on the onion model, an operational definition of core competencies for trauma nurses is proposed. Step 2) Item generation: Based on the theoretical model, literature review, semi-structured interviews, and Delphi consultation, a preliminary scale was developed. Step 3) Item content validation: 6 experts reviewed items for content validity; Step 4) Pilot study: 21 nurses were selected to test the readability of the preliminary scale; and Step 5) Psychometric evaluation: Item analysis, content validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, convergent validity, internal consistency reliability, and half-reliability were conducted.
RESULTS: The TAPNCCS-SC consists of 34 items and three dimensions (knowledge and skills, professional competencies, and occupational qualities). The explained variance of the 3-factor was 81.86 %. The CFA showed an acceptable-fitting 3-factor model (χ2/df = 3.653, RMSEA = 0.088, SRMR = 0.402, CFI = 0.920, IFI = 0.920, and TLI = 0.914). For convergent validity, AVE was 0.784-0.804 and CR was 0.974-0.980. The internal consistency and split-half reliability for the total scale were 0.991 and 0.945, respectively. The I-CVI ranged from 0.83 to 1.
CONCLUSIONS: The proposed scale exhibits high reliability and validity and is suitable for assessing the core competency of trauma APNs, which can help nursing managers plan relevant training and enhance trauma care competency.

Background: Clinical nutritionists are responsible for nutritional therapy in clinical practice, which significantly enhances patients\' nutritional status. This study aims to develop and validate a competency evaluation scale to effectively assess the abilities of clinical nutritionists. Methods: The competency evaluation scale for clinical nutritionists was developed based on the iceberg model, utilizing literature review, semi-structured interviews, and the Delphi method. The weights of each indicator were calculated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the validity and reliability of the scale were confirmed through questionnaire surveys. Results: The competency evaluation scale of clinical nutritionists comprised five primary indicators, twelve secondary indicators, and sixty-six tertiary indicators. The primary indicators, including professional theoretical knowledge, professional practical skills, humanistic practice ability, interpersonal communication ability, and professional development capability, have respective weights of 0.2168, 0.2120, 0.2042, 0.2022, and 0.1649. The Cronbach\'s α coefficients of the five dimensions of the scale were 0.970, 0.978, 0.969, 0.962, and 0.947, respectively. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis showed that the prerequisites for factor analysis were satisfied. Additionally, Bartlett\'s test of sphericity yielded a significance level of p < 0.001, confirming the scale\'s reliability and validity. Conclusions: The competency evaluation scale for clinical nutritionists developed in this study is of high scientific reliability and validity, which provides assessment criteria for the training and assessment of clinical nutritionists.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore and describe self-reported perceptions of nursing students\' competence in the administration of medication.
BACKGROUND: Medication errors are a significant concern in hospitals, as they can result in serious harm and even death for patients. Nursing students play a crucial role in administering medication and preventing errors, but they are also prone to making mistakes. While numerous studies have extensively examined the factors that contribute to medication errors, few have focused on the assessment of competency among nursing students.
METHODS: This study employed a qualitative exploratory and descriptive design.
METHODS: A total of 10 undergraduate nursing students at a higher education institution consented to participate in face-to-face, semi-structured individual interviews. Data were collected between August and September 2022 using an interview guide. The interviews were audio recorded and analysed using Braun and Clarke\'s six steps of thematic analysis.
RESULTS: The study revealed two major themes: (1) \'Perceived barriers to competency\', which include participants\' concerns regarding making errors, knowledge in pharmacology, self-efficacy in mathematics and level of supervision; and (2) \'Mechanisms for improvement\', which centre on enhancing simulation proficiency, improving supervision and integrating pharmacology education in year two of nursing training.
CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that student nurses face various barriers to competence, such as a fear of making mistakes, a lack of pharmacology knowledge and low self-confidence in calculating drug dosages. To address these issues, prioritising supervision is crucial to facilitate student learning and ensure safety. Future research should consider investigating the perspectives of nurse educators on pharmacology curricula.

UNASSIGNED: The current study aimed to explore grassroots esports in sports clubs in Norway from the perspective of volunteer esports leaders.
UNASSIGNED: Fifteen volunteers were recruited from grassroots esports initiatives in various sports clubs and were interviewed via online video conferencing using a pre-developed semi-structured interview guide. Data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis with a realist approach, which generated the following themes: (1) Local community impact at the center of motivation, (2) lack of support threatens the operations of the initiatives, and (3) competency development to overcome barriers. The participants perceived the grassroots esports initiatives as essential for children in the local community and as the core of their motivation as volunteers. Several challenges were mentioned for sustaining the initiatives, such as maintaining motivation, resource management, and recruiting new volunteers. Finally, competency and qualified esports trainers were mentioned as necessary for a high-quality offer.
UNASSIGNED: The grassroots esports initiatives in sports clubs are viewed by volunteer esports leaders to affect the local community positively. However, there are challenges tied to the operation of such initiatives, such as engaging volunteers and raising competence. Future research should investigate barriers to help develop strategies to support grassroots esports initiatives.

BACKGROUND: Self-directed violence (SDV) comprises both suicide and self-injury and represents a pressing problem among incarcerated persons. Negative impacts of SDV in correctional settings also extend to behavioral health clinicians (BHCs) (e.g., job turnover). Correctional SDV risk assessment and management standards include staff training as part of the comprehensive approach. The Core Competency Model for Corrections (CCM-C) is a novel, evidence-informed training program for BHCs covering both clinician self-management and clinical care skills.
METHODS: This pilot trial is a type 3 hybrid implementation-effectiveness approach. It will employ a wait-list control sequential cross-over design. Participants (N = 50-100) will be BHCs employed by the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections. Following stratification for years of clinical experience, BHCs will be randomly assigned to (1) a training group that receives CCM-C immediately and (2) a wait-list control receiving CCM-C approximately 6 weeks later. Electronically administrated survey evaluation will occur across baseline and two follow-up (i.e., 2 weeks after each training session) time points.
CONCLUSIONS: The primary outcome is feasibility assessed through collaboration with a Corrections Advisory Panel and feedback from BHCs. Secondary effectiveness outcomes that will be evaluated over time include SDV-related knowledge, attitudes, stigma, and intent to use training content. We will examine a tertiary outcome, namely compassion fatigue. Clinical trial limitations and impacts are discussed.
BACKGROUND: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT06359574. This study was registered on 04/05/2024.

UNASSIGNED: Nurses\' competencies are crucial for infectious disease prevention and control. We aimed to investigate competencies in responding to infectious disease outbreaks of nurses in primary healthcare institutions and identify their training needs.
UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to September 2022, recruiting nurses from primary healthcare institutions across Sichuan Province. Their competencies and training needs were assessed using a modified Emergency Response Competency Scale for Infectious Diseases. Additionally, their sociodemographic characteristics and experience in infectious disease outbreak trainings were collected. Univariate analyses were used to compare competencies and training needs by participant characteristics. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify determinants of their competencies.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 1,439 nurses from 44 primary healthcare institutions participated in this study. The overall competency and training needs had a median of 3.6 (IQR [3.1, 4.0]) and 4.0 (IQR [3.9, 4.7]), respectively. Age (β = -0.074, p = 0.005), experience in higher authority hospitals (β = 0.057, p = 0.035), infectious disease outbreak trainings attended within the last 5 years (β = 0.212, p < 0.001), and regions where the institutions located were determinants of the competencies.
UNASSIGNED: The competencies in responding to infectious disease outbreaks among nurses in primary healthcare institutions were at a moderate level, influenced by varied factors.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of competent staff with expertise in public health emergency preparedness and response in the civil aviation system. The civil aviation system is a critical sentinel and checkpoint to prevent imported cases and slow the spread of communicable diseases. Understanding the current competencies of staff to deal with public health emergencies will help government agencies develop targeted training and evidence-based policies to improve their public health preparedness and response capabilities.
METHODS: This cross-sectional pilot study was conducted from November 2022 to October 2023, involving 118 staff members from various positions within China\'s civil aviation system. A 59-item questionnaire was translated and developed according to a competency profile. Data were collected using the self-report questionnaire to measure the workforce\'s self-perceptions of knowledge and skills associated with public health emergency proficiency, categorized into (1) general competency, (2) preparedness competency, (3) response competency, and (4) recovery competency. KMO & Bartlett test and Cronbach\'s α reliability analysis were used to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, independent sample T-test, ANOVA, and linear regression models were performed to analyze the competencies.
RESULTS: A total of 107 staff members from the aviation system were surveyed in this study. The KMO & Bartlett test, (KMO = 0.919, P < 0.001) and Cronbach\'s α coefficients (α = 0.985) for this questionnaire were acceptable. The results suggested that respondents scored a mean of 6.48 out of 9 for the single question. However, the staff needed to acquire more knowledge in investigating epidemic information (5.92) and case managing (5.91) in the response stage. Overall, males scored higher (409.05 ± 81.39) than females (367.99 ± 84.97), with scores in the medical department (445.67 ± 72.01) higher than management (387.00 ± 70.87) and general department (362.32 ± 86.93). Additionally, those with completely subjective evaluation (425.79 ± 88.10) scored higher than the general group (374.39 ± 79.91). To predict the total score, female medical workers were more likely to have lower scores (β = -34.5, P = 0.041). Compared with those in the medical department, the management workers (β = -65.54, P = 0.008) and general workers (β = -78.06, P < 0.001) were associated with a lower total score.
CONCLUSIONS: There was still a gap between the public health emergency competencies of the civil aviation system and the demand. Staff in China\'s civil aviation systems demonstrated overall competence in public health emergency preparedness and response. However, there was a need to enhance the accumulation of practical experience. Implementing effective training programs for public health emergencies was recommended to mitigate knowledge gaps. Meanwhile, regular training evaluations were also recommended to give comprehensive feedback on the value of the training programs.

BACKGROUND: Integration of exercise into standard oncology care requires a highly skilled workforce of exercise professionals; however, competency requirements have not kept pace with advancements in the field. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain consensus on core competencies required for an exercise professional to be qualified to work with adults undergoing active cancer treatment.
METHODS: A three-round modified electronic Delphi process was used. In Round 1, an international group of 64 exercise oncology stakeholders (i.e., exercise oncology professionals (n = 29), clinical referrers (n = 21), and people with lived experience (n = 14)) responded to open-ended prompts eliciting perspectives regarding competencies needed for an exercise oncology professional to work with adults receiving active cancer treatment. Subsequently, only exercise oncology professionals participated, ranking the importance of competencies. In Round 2, professionals received summary feedback, ranked new competencies generated from open-ended responses, and reranked competencies not reaching consensus. In the final round, professionals finalized consensus ranking and rated frequency and mastery level for each.
RESULTS: Consensus was reached on 103 core competencies required for exercise professionals to be qualified to deliver care to adults undergoing active cancer treatment. The core competencies represent 10 content areas and reflect the needs of clinical referrers and people with lived experience of receiving cancer treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: The core competencies identified reflect significant advancements in the field of exercise oncology. Results will underpin the development of education, certification, and employment requirements for exercise oncology professionals, providing a critical step toward achieving routine integration of exercise into standard oncology care.

BACKGROUND: The Chinese government has formulated a series of policies and strengthened training of general practitioners (GPs) to support their role as \"gatekeepers\" of residents\' health. This study aimed to explore the core competencies of Chinese GPs and develop a competency framework in line with China\'s actual conditions, which can provide a more scientific basis for the education, training, and evaluation of GPs.
METHODS: Literature analysis and behaviour event interviews were conducted to build the competency dictionary and the initial version of the competency model. Two rounds of Delphi were performed to gain consensus on the final model. The questionnaire survey was carried out in 10 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) of China, and GPs were invited to score the importance of each competency item. The total sample was randomly divided into two groups. One group was for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and the other was for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the scale\'s reliability and validity.
RESULTS: The dictionary of general practitioners\' competency including 107 competency items was constructed. After two rounds of Delphi, a consensus was reached on 60 competencies in 6 domains. A total of 1917 valid questionnaires were obtained in the nationwide survey. The average importance score of all second-level indicators is 4.53 ± 0.45. The Cronbach\'s α coefficient is 0.984. The results of the five factors extracted by EFA showing the 68.16% cumulative explained variance variation is considered to be consistent with the six dimensions obtained by Delphi after thorough discussion. The model fitness indexes obtained by CFA were acceptable (χ2/df = 4.909, CFI = 0.869, NFI = 0.841, RMSEA = 0.065). The values of the composite reliability (CR) of the six dimensions were all greater than 0.7 (0.943, 0.927, 0.937, 0.927, 0.943, 0.950), and the average of variance extracted (AVE) were all greater than 0.5 (0.562, 0.613, 0.649, 0.563, 0.626, 0.635). The results showed that the model has good reliability and validity.
CONCLUSIONS: A competency model for GPs suited to China has been developed, which may offer guidance for future training and medical licensing examinations of GPs.