Defining Nurse Practitioner Core Entrustable Professional Activities

Abstract

Background: Gaps between educational preparation and clinical practice readiness have led to innovative approaches to competence assessment. Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) show promise as a competence assessment framework in graduate nursing education. Purpose: This study sought to develop and validate a set of EPAs that reflect the core activities performed by all nurse practitioners (NPs). Methods: Eight EPAs were developed. A Delphi approach was used to validate the EPAs by NP practice experts located across the United States and representing most NP populations. Results: Consensus was reached after 2 Delphi rounds. Conclusions: The EPAs developed and validated in this study map multiple advanced-level NP competencies to workplace expectations and provide a shared framework for competency-based workplace assessment among NP preceptors from varied health care professions.