Che cosa ostacola l’implementazione di competenze specialistiche per l’infermiere?: La prospettiva degli infermieri clinici: uno studio esplorativo e descrittivo

ABSTRACT Introduction The modern paradigms of personalized care and the current economic crisis lead to new challenges for Italian nursing, as the implementation of nurse specialist competencies’ development models. The aim is to investigate which factors hinder the implementation of these models. Methods A two-phase study has been conducted. In the first phase, with a qualitative-exploratory design, was conducted a focus group to discuss about what hinder the implementation of nurse specialist competencies’ development models. In the second phase, with a descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional design, an ad hoc self-report questionnaire was created (based on focus group report) and administered to a sample of nurses of two hospital in Milan. Results The focus group revealed five major themes: the uncertainty in the competence recognition; the critical issues within education and practice; the generational turnover difficulties and the conflicts. The questionnaire explored three types of barriers: the area of culture, the recognition and the practice. The tool has good validity and reliability. The main barriers emerged from the data analysis were the lack of economic incentives, the work overload, the gap between theory and practice and the regulatory process. Conclusions The results highlight the main nurse’s intra-professionally perceived barriers toward the implementation of nurse specialist competencies’ development models. This study could support further discussions and reflections.