Non-technical skills assessment for prelicensure nursing students: An integrative review

Nurse Educ Today. 2017 Nov:58:19-24. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.07.015. Epub 2017 Aug 12.

Abstract

Background: In nursing, non-technical skills are recognized as playing an important role to increase patient safety and successful clinical outcomes (Pearson and McLafferty, 2011). Non-technical skills are cognitive and social resource skills that complement technical skills and contribute to safe and efficient task performance (Flin et al., 2008). In order to effectively provide non-technical skills training, it is essential to have an instrument to measure these skills.

Methodology: An online search was conducted. Articles were selected if they referred to and/or described instruments assessing non-technical skills for nurses and/or prelicensure nursing students in educational, clinical and/or simulated settings with validation evidence (inclusion criteria).

Results: Of the 53 articles located, 26 met the inclusion criteria. Those referred to and/or described 16 instruments with validation evidence developed to assess non-technical skills in multidisciplinary teams including nurses.

Conclusion: Although articles have shown 16 valid and reliable instruments, to our knowledge, no instrument has been published or developed and validated for the assessment of non-technical skills of only nurses in general, relevant for use in high-fidelity simulation-based training for prelicensure nursing students. Therefore, there is a need for the development of such an instrument.

Keywords: Assessment; Education; Healthcare; High-fidelity simulation-based training programs; Non-technical skills; Nursing; Prelicensure nursing students.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Communication
  • Educational Measurement / methods*
  • Humans
  • Leadership
  • Simulation Training / methods
  • Social Skills*
  • Students, Nursing / psychology*
  • Thinking*