BackgroundOver the past few years, the complexity of the health care system in which nurses are required to practice has increased considerably, magnifying the need for excellent professionals with a specific set of knowledge, skills and attitudes. However, the characteristics that distinguish an excellent nurse have not yet been clarified.The aim of this study was to determine nurses’ perspectives regarding characteristics associated with an excellent nurse in order to elicit a conceptual profile.MethodA focus group design followed by Delphi panel content validation was utilized. Information regarding nurses’ perspectives was derived from six focus group discussions comprising 19 nurses involved in hospital practice and 24 nurses with experience in mental health care. The analysis of the focus group discussions resulted in nine domains whereby content validity was achieved with contributions from a Delphi panel survey with 26 professionals.ResultsAs determined by the survey, a combination of these specified aspects characterize an excellent nurse: analytical, communicative, cooperative, coordinating, disseminates knowledge, empathic, evidence-driven, innovative and introspective.ConclusionDetermining what establishes an excellent nurse according to experienced nurses is valuable as this information can influence the broadening curriculum for educating future nurses to meet the needs in the professional field, contributing to the quality of care. This conceptual profile can be used as a reference guide for supervisors and professionals to personally improve their clinical practice as well as for education.
The Hanze University Groningen offers more than 60 different honours programmes for students who want to do more than the regular programme offers them. In these programmes, students are guided to become an excellent professional. Competencies defining an excellent professional were assessed in a previous research by means of focus group discussions and Delphi survey with professionals and experts in the social worker field, resulting in a profile of the excellent social worker consisting of 6 domains. Our aim is to investigate the opinions of the teachers at the faculty Social Work regarding the profile of the excellent social worker. In addition, we aim to explore how teachers recognize, acknowledge and encourage excellence among their students.The Delphi method was used to investigate the opinions of the teachers. All teachers of Social Work Department were invited to fill in a survey giving their opinion on the excellent social worker profile as stated by the professionals. The teachers were asked to choose whether each domain was “essential”, “important but not essential” or “not needed” for an excellent Social Worker. Currently, 35 teachers answered the survey. Teachers agree that the competencies of the profile are essential for an excellent professional, with exception of ‘coaching and supporting your colleagues’. Over 50% of the respondents think that this is important but not essential. More than 90% of the teachers agree that “thinking out of the box” and “having the courage to think of different and innovative solutions” are essential competencies for excellence. In addition, teachers indicated that ethics, internationalization and entrepreneurship are missing in the profile.To conclude, the profile is acknowledged by teachers with broad support. In the next stage of the research, teachers will be asked about how they stimulate these competences by students. The research will be completed in June.
Background: Determining what constitutes an excellent allied health care professional (AHCP) is important, since this is what will guide the development of curricula for training future physical therapists, oral hygienists, speech therapists, diagnostic radiographers, and dietitians. This also determines the quality of care.Aim: To describe perspectives of AHCPs on which characteristics are commonly associated with an excellent AHCP.Methods: AHCPs’ perspectives were derived from three focus group discussions. Twenty-one health care professionals participated. The final analysis of the focus group discussions produced eight domains, in which content validity was obtained through a Delphi panel survey of 27 contributing experts.Results: According to the survey, a combination of the following characteristics defines an excellent AHCP: (1) cognizance, to obtain and to apply knowledge in a broad multidisciplinary health care field; (2) cooperativity, to effectively work with others in a multidisciplinary con¬text; (3) communicative, to communicate effectively at different levels in complex situations; (4) initiative, to initiate new ideas, to act proactively, and to follow them through; (5) innovative, to devise new ideas and to implement alternatives beyond current practices; (6) introspective, to self-examine and to reflect; (7) broad perspective, to capture the big picture; and (8) evidence-driven, to find and to use scientific evidence to guide one’s decisions.Conclusion: The AHCPs perspectives can be used as a reference for personal improvement for supervisors and professionals in clinical practice and for educational purposes. These perspectives may serve as a guide against which talented students can evaluate themselves.
Overheid en werkgeversorganisaties VNO-NCW en MKB-Nederland roepen bedrijven op om medeverantwoordelijkheid te nemen voor het oplossen van maatschappelijke problemen. Ook in de KIA MV 2024-2027 worden bedrijven uitgedaagd om bij te dragen aan brede welvaart, door te ‘ondernemen in breder perspectief’. Negenennegentig procent van de bedrijven in Nederland valt onder het mkb, waarvan zeventig procent te typeren is als familiebedrijf. Het zijn bij uitstek familiebedrijven die van nature genegen zijn om een bijdrage te leveren aan brede welvaart: ze zijn gericht op de lange termijn, sterk regionaal verbonden en ze kunnen hun eigen keuzes maken omdat de familie bepaalt wat er gebeurt. De aandacht voor familiebedrijven is in onderzoek naar ondernemen voor brede welvaart relatief beperkt gebleven. Windesheim, Avans en Hogeschool Rotterdam bundelen daarom hun krachten binnen onderhavig SPRONG-traject om samen met het werkveld te komen tot een excellente onderzoeksgroep die hierin verandering gaat brengen. Deze drie hogescholen hebben op strategisch niveau een speerpunt gemaakt van ondernemerschap voor brede welvaart. Bovendien hebben ze, vanuit verschillende expertisegebieden, hun sporen verdiend met onderzoek naar ondernemen voor brede welvaart: - specifieke kenmerken van mkb-familiebedrijven die leiden tot een versnelling dan wel vertraging bij bredewelvaartcreatie (Windesheim); - de rol van leiderschap en strategie in het mkb, waarmee sturing en effectiviteit van brede welvaartcreatie wordt bevorderd (Hogeschool Rotterdam); en - de vraag wat voor ondernemerschap en marketing nodig zijn in een economie waarin brede welvaart centraal staat (Avans). De voorgestelde SPRONG-onderzoeksgroep werkt gezamenlijk aan de volgende doelen: (1) het opzetten en doorontwikkelen van een geïntegreerd kennisplatform op het gebied van mkb-familiebedrijven in relatie tot de creatie van brede welvaart; (2) het bouwen aan de kwaliteit en professionaliteit van de onderzoeksgroep; en (3) het samen optrekken in profilering, netwerkversterking en het genereren van impact richting werkveld, onderwijs en wetenschap.
