Inside Looking Out: Updated Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing Practice.

Abstract

Background: The original Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing published in 2016, and updated in 2020, provides a framework for rehabilitation nursing practice.

Aim: This companion, but stand-alone, article to a 2022 publication further explicates and informs the updated Competency Model from inside looking out toward an increasing application for evidence-based practice (EBP).

Approach: An eight-member 2020 ARN Task Force used an iterative process to review the original four domains and related competencies and came to consensus for the updated model.

Outcome: This model provides revised competency role descriptors or behaviors that guide nurses practicing at different proficiency levels in various settings.

Clinical relevance: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing is a premier resource that can advance professional rehabilitation nursing and guide EBP, including evaluation, quality improvement, and research. The model describes the nurse's role on the intra/interprofessional team and fosters collaboration with other healthcare professionals to enhance the quality of life for those affected by disability and chronic illness.

Conclusion: The domains and associated competencies of this model clarify nursing roles at different proficiency levels, and role descriptors reflect current practice, supporting advancement of the specialty practice of rehabilitation nursing well into the 21st century.