SUBJECT: COMPETENCY
POLICY:
The competency program is designed to ensure employees, students, and/or volunteers meet job requirements, maintain skills, to assess deficiencies, to establish a framework for learning opportunities, to assess competence after training, and to seek opportunities for improvement. The organization has a process that assures that each direct service staff member has demonstrated competency in any new task before being assigned to that task. The organization also has a process to ensure that staff have been proven competent to perform task(s) after re-training has been provided. A qualified registered nurse must determine if a home health aide is competent in all required skills.
DEFINITION:
Competency is the knowledge, education, skills, and experience an employee possesses for job performance.
TYPES OF COMPETENCIES:
1. Orientation/Agency Competencies
A. Apply to all clinical staff, students, and/or volunteers and must be evaluated for proficiency prior to the individual performing their respective job responsibilities .
B. Are evaluated at completion of orientation. Orientation/Agency Competencies include, but are not limited to:
1) Presents Self Professionally
2) Demonstrates Personal and Community Safety Awareness
3) Follows Infection Control Standards
4) Demonstrates Appropriate Communication Skills
5) Demonstrates Effective Time Management/Organization Skills
6) Assesses and Implements Appropriate Plan of Care
7) Demonstrates Cultural/Age Specific Care Needs
8) Documents Care Appropriately
9) Provides Patient/Family Teaching
10) Knowledge of Regulations
11) Knowledge of to whom to report concerns to.
PROCEDURE:
1. New employee, student, and/or volunteer is to date and do self evaluation at completion of orientation and give this form to Director of Patient Services/Agency Supervisor or Preceptor.
2. Evaluator must evaluate new employee, student, and/or volunteer for each competency using one of the evaluation method keys, prior to employee performing job responsibilities independently.
3. Evaluator must document follow up in comment section for any area that new employee indicates they are not competent or need review.
4. After form completed, file in the employee file.
2. Discipline Specific Competency Checklist
A. Discipline competencies are specific to the skills required for each of the disciplines, i.e., RN, LPN, PT, OT, HHA etc.
B. Discipline skill competencies marked with an asterisk must be evaluated during orientation and be verified satisfactorily prior to employee performing job responsibilities independently.
C. Discipline competencies will be evaluated for proficiency by a peer except for Home Health Aides who will be evaluated by an RN.
3. Advanced Skill Competencies
Include: IV Specific, Equipment Specific or Specialty Programs
A. Specialty program competencies are skill competencies related to a specific diagnosis/program.
B. Designated advanced skill competencies marked with an asterisk are evaluated annually.
4. Management Competencies
Management competencies are evaluated for proficiency during management orientation.
PROCEDURE: FOR DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC COMPETENCY CHECKLIST, ADVANCED SKILL COMPETENCY AND MANAGEMENT COMPETENCY
1. During the interview process, the Director of Patient Services/ Agency Supervisor will assess the applicant’s knowledge, education, training, and experience.
2. During orientation the Director of Patient Services/Agency Supervisor will explain and distribute the Discipline Specific Competency Checklist.
3. During orientation, specific education and training needs will be identified.
4. The Director of Patient Services/Agency Supervisor or Preceptor will observe and validate on field visits the competencies marked with an asterisk on the Discipline Specific Competency Checklist. The Director of Patient Services/Agency Supervisor or Preceptor will observe, date, and initial evaluated areas on the employee’s Discipline Specific Competency Checklist and sign signature page.
5. Discipline Specific Competency Checklists are to be placed in the employee file for ongoing reference in patient assignment.
6. The Discipline Specific Competency Checklist is to be updated by the employee on a regular basis and prior to her/his periodic performance evaluation.
7. When an employee is introduced to a new skill, service, or product, their competency can be documented by specific certifications, direct observation, cognitive testing, chart audit, procedure review and demonstration.
8. The employee and evaluator will sign signature page of the competency checklists.
Evidence and validation of competency include:
1. Professional license/certification
2. Education
3. Special certifications
4. Experience
5. Interview/references
6. Knowledge tests
7. Self assessment
8. Return demonstrations
9. Continuing education/skills labs
10. Previous performance evaluations/previous competency assessments
11. Supervisory/Preceptor visits
12. Peer visits, as applicable
DESIGNATED ONGOING SKILL COMPETENCY
On-going Discipline skills are designated annually. The Director of Patient Services/Agency Supervisor will determine annual Designated Ongoing Skill Competencies by evaluating information from the Performance Improvement programs, changes in services provided, new equipment or services initiated. These designated competencies may be assessed in various ways depending upon the competency indicator.
CHANGE OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
If an employee, student, and/or volunteer has a new job responsibility, their supervisor will work with them to re-assess their new level of competency related to their revised job description.
CHANGE OF ASSIGNMENT
Any employee, student, and/or volunteer who has an assignment change shall not be expected to assume the new assignment unless they have the specific competencies required. If they do not, their respective supervisor shall re-educate, and then they will be expected to re-demonstrate the appropriate competencies required for their new assignment prior to assuming those responsibilities.
FIELD OBSERVATION EVALUATIONS
Field Observation Evaluations are to be completed periodically on all field employees prior to periodic performance review.
