Clinical practice competencies in standard critical care nursing (SCCN) are necessary to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes. Competency enables definition and provides a framework for the evaluation of actual knowledge, skills, and abilities. However, a clear development process and scientifically validated competencies have not yet been developed in Japan. Thus, this study aimed to develop a consensus-based set of SCCN competencies to cover a framework for critical care nursing education, training, and evaluation. A consensus-based set of SCCN competencies was developed in four stages: (1) development of an initial set of SCCN competencies derived from a systematic review; (2) focus group interviews via video conference to supplement and content expert validation based on initial competencies made from a systematic review; (3) a three-round web-based Delphi survey of health professionals to prioritize and gain consensus on the most essential SCCN competencies; and (4) external validation, feedback, and endorsement from critical care experts. A systematic review of 23 studies and reports identified 685 unique competencies. Of the 239 participants representing a range of health professionals (physicians, nurses, and physical therapists) who registered, 218 (91.2% of registered professionals), 209 (98.9% of round 1 participants), and 201 (96.2% of round two participants) participants responded in round one, round two, and round three of the Delphi survey, respectively. The withdrawal rates between enrollment and each round were less than 10%. After three rounds of the Delphi survey and external validation by experts, the final set of competencies was classified into 6 domains, 26 subdomains, 99 elements, and 525 performance indicators. In summary, a consensus-based, contemporary set of SCCN competencies was identified to cover a framework for critical care nursing education, training, and evaluation.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study was supported by grants from Sapporo City University and the Japanese Red Cross Kyushu International College of Nursing. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation.

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This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Sapporo City University (approval number:2135-1).

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All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors