A Scoping Review of Graduate Nurses’ Education and Use of QSEN Competencies

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction The QSEN Institute developed the quality and safety education for nurses (QSEN) competencies for both undergraduate and graduate-prepared nurses to support their development of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to deliver safe, quality care. The purpose of this scoping review was to (1) determine the extent of evidence about the current use of QSEN competencies in graduate nursing curricula and (2) determine the application of the QSEN competencies among graduate-prepared nurses in clinical practice. Materials and Methods Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework for scoping reviews was used to explore the literature about the use of the QSEN competencies in graduate nursing education and practice available in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, and Web of Science. Quality was assessed using Melnyk, Gallagher-Ford, and Fineout-Overholt’s critical appraisal tools. Results In total, 423 articles were reviewed, 10 of which met inclusion criteria; five described quality improvement projects, two addressed curricular design, and three were program evaluations. Only one article described the use of QSEN competencies in practice. Overall, the amount of literature was scant and of low quality. All the articles described the use of QSEN competencies in graduate education except one, which also described them in practice in a graduate nurse residency program. Conclusions Although the QSEN competencies were adopted for use in graduate curricula and practice settings, there is a wide variation in the actual use and application with limited reporting of outcomes. The graduate QSEN competencies can be leveraged to equip nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to address quality and safety challenges in any nursing environment including the operational environment in deployed and austere settings. This review provides recommendations to address gaps in research, graduate nursing education, and clinical practice.