Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Competencies in Geriatric Nursing: Empirical Evidence from a Computer-Based Large-Scale Assessment Calibration Study

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Vocations and Learning Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Valid and reliable standardized assessment of nursing competencies is needed to monitor the quality of vocational education and training (VET) in nursing and evaluate learning outcomes for care work trainees with increasingly heterogeneous learning backgrounds. To date, however, the modeling of professional competencies has not yet evolved into procedures that would meet large-scale assessment (LSA) standards in VET. To empirically test a proposed structural model for client-directed nursing competence and to estimate psychometric properties of a newly developed video- and computer-based test (CBT) to inform subsequent LSA in nursing VET, 402 final-year nursing students from 24 German schools responded to a 77 item CBT. Multi-dimensional IRT modeling was employed to test the subdomain structure and estimate students’ competencies in geriatric nursing. The standardized CBT measures nursing students’ client-directed care competence with acceptable precision (WLE = 0.76) and does so across the whole range of observed proficiency levels. Structural validity was supported by substantive contributions of test items from all proposed process-oriented subdomains, practice field scenarios, as well as items with and without reference to emotional demands. However, it was not possible to empirically separate the diagnostic, practical or communicative subdomains, probably reflecting parallel, recursive and hierarchical care processes in complex care situations. On average, students in our sample attained 45 % of the maximum test score so it is a demanding assessment of nursing competence. An extensively piloted, valid and reliable CBT is suggested to assess nursing students’ client-directed care competencies at the end of the third year of the VET program.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abele, S. (2014). Modellierung und Entwicklung berufsfachlicher Kompetenz [Modelling and development of professional competence]. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abele, S., Walker, F., & Nickolaus, R. (2014). Time-saving and reliable diagnostics in measuring professional problem-solving competence in the domain of car mechatronics. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 28(4), 167–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akaike, H. (1974). A new look at the statistical model identification. IEEE Transaction on Automatic Control, 19(6), 716–723.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akerjordet, K., & Severinsson, E. (2010). The state of the science of emotional intelligence related to nursing leadership: an integrative review. Journal of Nursing Management. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2010.01087.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bals, T. & Wittmann, E. (2009). Social and health care. In Baethge, M. & Arends, L. (Eds.) Feasibility Study VET-LSA. A comparative analysis of occupational profiles and VET programmes in 8 European countries. International report. Göttingen: SOFI, 85–98. http://www.bmbf.de/pub/band_acht_berufsbildungsforschung_eng.pdf.

  • Benner, P. (1982). From novice to expert. The American Journal of Nursing, 82(3), 402–407.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bing-Jonsson, P. C., Bjørk, I. T., Hofoss, D., Kirkevold, M., & Foss, C. (2013). Instruments measuring nursing staff competence in community health care. a systematic literature review. Home Health Care Management & Practice. doi:10.1177/1084822313494784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bing-Jonsson, P. C., Bjørk, I. T., Hofoss, D., Kirkevold, M., & Foss, C. (2014). Competence in advanced older people nursing: development of ‘Nursing older people—competence evaluation tool’. International Journal of Older People Nursing. doi:10.1111/opn.12057.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blažun, H., Kokol, P., & Vošner, J. (2015). Research literature production on nursing competences from 1981 till 2012: a bibliometric snapshot. Nurse Education Today. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2015.01.002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Böhle, F., & Glaser, J. (Eds.). (2006). Arbeit in der Interaktion - Interaktion als Arbeit [Work in interaction – interaction as work]. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brauckmann, S., Kühne, S., Stäsche, U., Tarazona, M., Weishaupt, H. & Wittmann, E. et al. (2010). Steuerung und Verwaltung des Bildungswesens [Governance and administration of the educational system]. In Jäger, R.S., Nenniger, P., Petillon, H., Schwarz, B. & Wolf, B. (Eds.): Empirische Pädagogik 1990–2010. Bd 1: Grundlegende empirische pädagogische Forschung. Landau: Empirische Pädagogik, 119–160.

  • Cowan, D. T., Norman, I., & Coopamah, V. P. (2005). Competence in nursing practice: a controversial concept—a focused review of literature. Nurse Education Today. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2005.03.002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darmann-Finck, I., & Glissmann, G. (2011). Kompetenzdiagnostik im Berufsfeld Pflege.[Competence assessment in nursing]. Pflege. doi:10.1024/1012-5302/a000120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darmann-Finck, I., & Reuschenbach, B. (2013). Current state of competence assessment in nursing. Zeitschrift für Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualität im Gesundheitswesen. doi:10.1016/j.zefq.2012.11.020.

    Google Scholar 

  • Döring, O., Möllers, M., & Schöpf, N. (2014). Qualitätssicherung durch Kompetenzmessung: Technologiebasierte Kompetenzmessung am Beispiel der Altenpflege [Quality assurance by competence assessment: technology-based competence assessment in geriatric care]. W&B - Wirtschaft und Beruf, 66, 34–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Embretson, S. E., & Reise, S. P. (2000). Psychometric methods: Item response theory for psychologists. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), & Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) (2013). German EQF Referencing Report. https://ec.europa.eu/ploteus/sites/eac-eqf/files/German_EQF_Referencing_Report.pdf.

  • Federal Ministry of Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. (2002). Altenpflege-Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung—AltPflAPrV vom 29. November 2002 [Geriatric care training and examination regulations]. Bundesgesetzblatt, Teil I Nr, 81, 4418–4428.

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Ministry of Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. (2015). Zwischenbericht zur Ausbildungs- und Qualifizierungsoffensive Altenpflege 2012–2015 [Geriatric care qualifications initiative 2012–2015 intermediate report]. Berlin: BMFSFJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hundenborn, G. (2007). Fallorientierte Didaktik in der Pflege: Grundlagen und Beispiele für Ausbildung und Prüfung [Case-oriented didactics in nursing]. München: Urban & Fischer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kajander-Unkuri, S., Salminen, L., Saarikoski, M., Suhonen, R., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2013). Competence areas of nursing students in Europe. Nursing Education Today. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2013.01.017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaspar, R., & Hartig, J. (2015). Emotional competencies in geriatric nursing: empirical evidence from a computer-based large-scale assessment calibration study. Advances in Health Sciences Education. doi:10.1007/s10459-015-9616-y.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiefer, T., Robitzsch, A., & Wu, M. (2014). TAM: test analysis modules. R Package Version, 1, 1. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=TAM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knigge-Demal, B., & Hundenborn, G. (2012). Qualifiziert in die Zukunft: Der Beitrag eines sektoralen Qualifikationsrahmens für den Beschäftigungsbereich der Altenpflege [Qualified for the future: contributions of a sectoral qualification framework for the employment sector of care]. Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis, 2012(6), 20–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knigge-Demal, B., Eylmann, C., & Hundenborn, G. (2013). Anforderungs- und Qualifikationsrahmen für den Beschäftigungsbereich der Pflege und persönlichen Assistenz älterer Menschen. [Qualification framework for the employment sector of care and personal assistance of older persons]. Bielefeld/Köln: FH Bielefeld/DIP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, K., Trevena, L., & Waters, D. (2014). Systematic review of instruments for measuring nurses’ knowledge, skills and attitudes for evidence-based practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing. doi:10.1111/jan.12454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyneham, J., Parkinson, C., & Denholm, C. (2009). Expert nursing practice: a mathematical explanation of Benner’s 5th stage of practice development. Journal of Advanced Nursing. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05091.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masters, G. N. (1982). A Rasch model for partial credit scoring. Psychometrika, 47(2), 149–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meretoja, R., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2001). Instruments for evaluating nurse competence. Journal of Nursing Administration, 31(7), 346–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meretoja, R., Leino-Kilpi, H., & Kaira, A. M. (2004). Comparison of nurse competence in different hospital work environments. Journal of Nursing Management. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2004.00422.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, M. L., Henderson, A., Groves, M., Dalton, M., & Nulty, D. (2009). The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE): optimising its value in the undergraduate nursing curriculum. Nurse Education Today. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2008.10.007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murrells, T., Robinson, S., & Griffiths, P. (2009). Assessing competence in nursing. Nursing Management. doi:10.7748/nm2009.07.16.4.18.c7133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998–2012). Mplus User’s Guide. Seventh Edition. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

  • Olbrich, C. (2010). Pflegekompetenz [Nursing competence]. Bern: Huber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robitzsch, A. (2014). sirt: supplementary item response theory models. R Package Version, 1. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=sirt.

  • Schmitt, S., Stöver, M., & Görres, S. (2010). Measuring competence to ensure sustainable training structures in the context of Integrative nursing education: the Stuttgart model—external evaluation results of the second course (German). Pflegewissenschaft. doi:10.3936/986.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, G. (1978). Estimating the dimension of a model. The Annals of Statistics, 6(2), 461–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz-Govaers, R. (2005). Subjektive Theorien als Basis von Wissen und Handeln [Subjective theories as a basis for knowledge and action]. Bern: Huber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seeber, S., & Lehmann, R. (2013). Basic competencies as determinants of success in commercial apprenticeships. In O. Troitschanskaia & K. Beck (Eds.), From diagnostics to learning. Proceedings in vocational education and training (pp. 75–83). Rotterdam: Sense. doi:10.1007/978-94-6209-191-7_6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, J., Rechenbach, S., Kaspar, R., Möllers, M., & Worofka, I. (2015). Theoretische Anforderungen an die Kompetenzmodellierung unter Berücksichtigung domänenspezifischer Besonderheiten in der Pflege älterer Menschen [Theory implications for modeling domain-specific competencies in the care of older people]. bwp@ Spezial 10 - Berufsbildung im Gesundheitsbereich. 1–26. Retrieved from http://www.bwpat.de/spezial10/simon_etal_gesundheitsbereich-2015.pdf (19.11.2015).

  • Sloane, P. F. E. (2008). Zu den Grundlagen eines Deutschen Qualifikationsrahmens (DQR): Konzeptionen, Kategorien, Konstruktionsprinzipien [Basics of a German qualification framework: concepts, categories, construction principles]. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S. (2012). Nurse competence: a concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge. doi:10.1111/j.2047-3095.2012.01225.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warm, T. A. (1989). Weighted likelihood estimation of ability in item response theory. Psychometrika, 54(3), 427–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, J. (2002). Assessing and measuring caring in nursing and health science. New York: Springer Pub.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, R., & Lea, A. (1997). The caring dimensions inventory (CDI): content validity, reliability and scaling. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(1), 87–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, R., Deary, I. J., & Hoogbruin, A. L. (2001). A 35-item version of the caring dimensions inventory: multivariate analysis and application to a longitudinal study involving student nurses. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 38(5), 511–521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, R., Stimpson, A., Topping, A., & Porock, D. (2002). Clinical competence assessment in nursing: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 39(5), 421–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winther, E., & Achtenhagen, F. (2009). Measurement of vocational competencies—a contribution to an international large-scale assessment on vocational education and training. Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, 1(1), 85–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittmann, E., Weyland, U., Nauerth, A., Döring, O., Rechenbach, S., & Simon, J. (2014). Kompetenzerfassung in der Pflege älterer Menschen: Theoretische und domänenspezifische Anforderungen der Aufgabenmodellierung [Competence assessment in geriatric nursing: theoretical and domain-specific challenges in task modeling]. In J. Seifried, U. Faßhauer, & S. Seeber (Eds.), Jahrbuch der berufs- und wirtschaftspädagogischen Forschung 2014 (pp. 53–66). Budrich: Leverkusen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, B. D., & Masters, G. N. (1990). Computation of OUTFIT and INFIT Statistics. Rasch Measurement Transactions, 3(4), 84–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, M., & Adams, R. (2007). Applying the Rasch-model to psycho-social measurement: A practical approach. Melbourne: Educational Measurement Solutions.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, X. V., Enskär, K., Lee, C. C. S., & Wang, W. (2015). A systematic review of clinical assessment for undergraduate nursing students. Nursing Education Today. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2014.11.016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yanhua, C. & Watson, R. (2011). A review of clinical competence assessment in nursing. Nurse Education Today. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2011.05.003.

  • Yen, W. M. (1984). Effects of local item dependence on the fit and equating performance of the three-parameter logistic model. Applied Psychological Measurement. doi:10.1177/014662168400800201.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01DB1109). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DIPF German Institute for International Educational Research, Schloßstraße 29, 60486, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Roman Kaspar & Johannes Hartig

  2. f-bb Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Rollnerstraße 14, 90408, Nuremberg, Germany

    Roman Kaspar, Ottmar Döring & Michaela Möllers

  3. TUM. Technische Universität München, Arcisstraße 21, 81333, Munich, Germany

    Eveline Wittmann, Julia Simon & Iberé Worofka

  4. Westfälische-Wilhelms-University Münster, Bispinghof 5/6, 48143, Münster, Germany

    Ulrike Weyland

  5. FH Bielefeld University of Applied Science, Am Stadtholz 24, 33609, Bielefeld, Germany

    Annette Nauerth & Simone Rechenbach

Authors
  1. Roman Kaspar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ottmar Döring
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Eveline Wittmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Johannes Hartig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ulrike Weyland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Annette Nauerth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Michaela Möllers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Simone Rechenbach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Julia Simon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Iberé Worofka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roman Kaspar.

Ethics declarations

Funding

This research has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01DB1109).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kaspar, R., Döring, O., Wittmann, E. et al. Competencies in Geriatric Nursing: Empirical Evidence from a Computer-Based Large-Scale Assessment Calibration Study. Vocations and Learning 9, 185–206 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-015-9147-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-015-9147-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation