Competency Frameworks for Preoperative

Assessment

Kirsten Wheeler Stockport NHSFT

Rebecca Gleave–Leary Salford Royal NHSFT

Definitions

► Preop Assessment - “establishes that the patient is fully informed and wishes to undergo the procedure. It ensures that the patient is as fit as possible for the surgery and the anaesthetic. It minimises the risk of late cancellations by ensuring that all essential resources and discharge requirements are identified and coordinated.”

NHSMA, 2003

Competence

► The ability to do something successfully or efficiently. Oxford English Dictionary

► Competence can be defined as: “The state of having theknowledge, judgement, skills, energy, experience andmotivation required to respond adequately to thedemands of one’s professional responsibilities”.

(Roach, 1992)

► A cluster of related abilities, commitments, knowledge, and skills that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation. Competence indicates sufficiency of knowledge and skills that enable someone to act in a wide variety of situations. Because each level of responsibility has its own requirements, competence can occur in any period of a person's life or at any stage of his or her career.

www.businessdictionary.com

Standards and Frameworks

►The Code

►NMC Standards for Competence.

►RCN core career and competence framework.

►Leading Change, Adding Value.

…and many more.

Existing pre-op frameworks

Areas to Consider

►Clinical skills

►Communication and interpersonal skills

►Knowledge

►Leadership and teamwork

►Education and development