Differentiated essential competencies: a view from practice.

This article describes the results of strategies to elicit views of practicing nurses by the Texas Board of Nursing regarding competencies expected of new graduate licensed vocational nursing/LPN, associate degree/diploma, and baccalaureate nurses. The implications of these perceptions regarding the competencies expected of new graduates in Texas are considered, with questions posed for future exploration.

Academic partnerships to increase nursing education capacity: centralized faculty resource and clinical placement centers.

The North Texas Consortium of Professional Nursing Programs and Practice Partners is a regional academic partnership of nursing education and practice organizational leaders working together to share innovative ideas and best practices and to improve efficiencies that impact nursing education. The region's 15 nursing schools produced 25% of the Texas graduates, or 1,782 graduates, in 2008-2009. Yet, 3,522 graduates are needed in 2013-2014 to meet the projected north Texas demand.

Competency development in new registered nurse graduates: closing the gap between education and practice.

The gap between a new registered nurse graduate's education for practice and actual practice requirements of new registered nurses has long been an accepted fact in nursing. This article describes the development of an intervention from the academic side of the gap to improve the competency of nursing students before graduation. The intervention is noteworthy because it was developed collaboratively between academia and practice.

The Texas model of differentiated entry-level competencies of graduates of nursing programs.

The Board of Nurse Examiners and the Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas updated the state's competency-based education model in collaboration with stakeholders in nursing service, state nursing organizations, and the deans and directors of the state's 82 board-accredited professional nursing programs. Based on this collaborative effort, 14 differentiated entry-level competencies with associated knowledge and clinical behaviors/judgments were identified that set standards for graduates of vocational, diploma, associate, and baccalaureate degree programs.

School nursing role and competence.

How will school nurses attain, maintain and advance their professional competence in an evolving school nursing and school health environment? This article is designed to assist school nurses to understand competence and nursing competencies and related issues affecting their role. The Southern Regional Education Board/Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing (SREB/CCEN) is exploring a linkage of undergraduate nursing curriculum to school nursing competencies. In addition, a method now used to evaluate school nurse competence in one school district is included.