Table 4 Accepted competencies for APN

Direct clinical nursing practice

(Ability to implement holistic care to patients following nursing procedures to achieve health goals or specific health outcomes. It includes patient health assessment, clinical nursing decision-making, and nurse-patient relationship establishment in complex clinical situations.)

5 ± 0

0

1

 1.1 The ability to collect disease-related etiological data

4.64 ± 0.73

0.16

1

 1.2 The ability to perform systematic physical examination independently

4.75 ± 0.59

0.12

0.95

 1.3 The ability to interpret the clinical significance of common auxiliary examination results

4.79 ± 0.42

0.09

1

 1.4 The ability to analyse the collected clinical nursing data comprehensively

4.82 ± 0.39

0.08

1

 1.5 The ability to make nursing diagnosis for complex, uncertain health problems based on clinical scenarios

4.46 ± 0.64

0.14

0.91

 1.6 The ability to develop care plans based on clinical data

4.86 ± 0.36

0.07

1

 1.7 The ability to schedule diagnostic and therapeutic prescription drugs rationally

4.61 ± 0.63

0.14

1

 1.8 The ability to monitor drug and non-drug treatment within the scope of practice

4.75 ± 0.59

0.12

0.87

 1.9 The ability to identify barriers and promoters for treatment plan from patients or family members

4.61 ± 0.69

0.15

0.90

 1.10 The ability to adjust nursing plans according to the patient's condition

4.75 ± 0.52

0.11

0.91

 1.11 The ability to build therapeutic relationships by facilitating the co-participation of patients and their support systems in the planning, treatment, and management of diseases

4.79 ± 0.50

0.10

0.96

 1.12 The ability to observe changes of conditions of common and frequently-occurring diseases in specialized fields and to identify risks in time

4.89 ± 0.31

0.06

1

 1.13 The ability to take effective nursing interventions according to changing conditions of patients in time

4.93 ± 0.26

0.05

1

 1.14 The ability to identify the priority health problem when facing a clinical emergency

4.93 ± 0.26

0.05

1

 1.15 The ability to use common medical equipment skilfully

4.96 ± 0.19

0.04

0.96

 1.16 The ability to correctly complete various nursing documents

4.75 ± 0.52

0.11

0.91

 1.17 The ability to communicate effectively with critical patients and their families using appropriate communication methods

4.75 ± 0.52

0.11

1

 1.18 The ability to provide patients with necessary information including drug efficacy, adverse reactions, and medical costs

4.46 ± 0.64

0.14

1

 1.19 The ability to follow up patients in appropriate manners to monitor and evaluate their health/disease status

4.79 ± 0.42

0.09

0.91

 1.20 The ability to identify priorities for nursing interventions*

4.75 ± 0.97

0.20

0.95

2. Research and evidence-based nursing practice

(Ability to identify clinical practice problems, conduct research design and finish relevant scientific research independently (implement research protocols and data analysis), and to utilize research findings and apply them to change practice)

4.96 ± 0.19

0.04

1

 2.1 The ability to identify research questions in specialized fields

4.93 ± 0.26

0.05

1

 2.2 The ability to search literatures skilfully and use appropriate tools to evaluate literature quality objectively

4.82 ± 0.39

0.08

1

 2.3 The ability to design feasible clinical nursing research plans according to research questions

4.71 ± 0.46

0.10

1

 2.4 The ability to implement clinical nursing research plans as planned

4.79 ± 0.42

0.09

1

 2.5 The ability to draft papers based on scientific research results and promote dissemination and application of results

4.54 ± 0.88

0.19

0.96

 2.6 The ability to systematically evaluate the current clinical nursing practice based on latest research results

4.68 ± 0.55

0.12

0.96

 2.7 The ability to apply the best evidence to clinical practice

4.86 ± 0.36

0.07

1

 2.8 The ability to use effective strategies to improve nursing behaviours and teamwork to promote the adoption of evidence-based nursing practice and innovations

4.71 ± 0.54

0.11

0.91

 2.9 The ability to develop or participate in researches focusing on patient care and cost–benefit ratios

4.54 ± 0.58

0.13

0.96

 2.10 The ability to monitor the quality of nursing research programs and deal with the problems raising in any research process*

4.75 ± 0.52

0.11

0.95

3. Professional development

(Ability to take active responsibility for one’ own professional development and promoting organization’s professional development. It includes personal and professional development)

4.88 ± 0.33

0.06

1

 3.1 The ability to identify own learning needs

4.82 ± 0.48

0.10

0.96

 3.2 The ability to be aware of own strengths and limitations

4.75 ± 0.52

0.11

0.96

 3.3 The ability to keep up with advanced developments and new information about the health care system

4.68 ± 0.55

0.12

0.96

 3.4 The ability to make personal career development goals

4.89 ± 0.32

0.06

1

 3.5 The ability to recognize roles of an individual in the organization and to accomplish tasks of the relevant roles

4.86 ± 0.36

0.07

1

 3.6 Have a good physical and mental condition and the ability to adapt to the environment and conduct standardized nursing practice in a constantly changing and evolving healthcare environment

4.82 ± 0.39

0.08

1

 3.7 The ability to grasp learning opportunities for personal and professional development to enhance own competences

4.89 ± 0.32

0.06

1

 3.8 The ability to identify the role of professional organizations, such as nursing associations, and be actively involved

4.68 ± 0.55

0.12

0.96

 3.9 The ability to accept lifelong learning for professional development and maintenance of professional competences

4.61 ± 0.50

0.11

0.96

4. Organization and management

(Ability to collaborates with healthcare team members in order to ensure care quality and patient ‘s safety.it include communication and cooperation effectively with colleagues, and to participate in the organization and coordination of relevant elements of clinical nursing practices to ensure multi-discipline cooperation, nursing quality and patient safety improvement.)

4.88 ± 0.33

0.06

1

 4.1 The ability to establish contacts with academic communities and participate in academic activities

4.54 ± 0.58

0.13

0.96

 4.2 The ability to collaborate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of specialized competencies

4.50 ± 0.58

0.12

0.96

 4.3 The ability to provide individual, family, and community health services with a multidisciplinary team

4.71 ± 0.54

0.11

0.96

 4.4 The ability to serve as a bridge between various medical teams from different fields to coordinate patients’ care and treatment

4.43 ± 0.69

0.16

0.87

 4.5 The ability to guide health workers, students, and other persons to acquire new knowledge and skills in a specialized field

4.57 ± 0.57

0.13

0.95

 4.6 The ability to coordinate the medical staff of all departments in emergency situations and effectively use team strength to solve problems

4.57 ± 0.57

0.13

0.96

 4.7 The ability to foresee the variability of clinical nursing practice and take active intervention measures to ensure the quality of treatment and nursing

4.61 ± 0.63

0.14

0.96

 4.8 The ability to skilfully use common quality management tools and analyse the problems existing in nursing quality management

4.750.441

0.09

0.96

 4.9 The ability to identify health benefit research questions in nursing practice as a principal investigator or collaborator with a research team

4.710.535

0.11

0.96

5. Mentoring and consultation

(Ability to supervise nursing students, junior nurses and other medical staff, and to provide health education and professional counseling to clients)

4.77 ± 0.43

0.09

1

 5.1 The ability to provide specialized nursing clinics for individuals and their families

4.50 ± 0.92

0.21

0.91

 5.2 The ability to provide individuals, families, and communities with knowledge of healthy lifestyles and self-care

4.68 ± 0.55

0.12

1

 5.3 The ability to design specialized nursing training programs according to the needs of junior nurses in a specialized field

4.68 ± 0.55

0.12

0.95

 5.4 The ability to provide nurses, undergraduates, advanced students with relevant nursing theoretical knowledge and skills, and training of new business and technologies

4.68 ± 0.55

0.12

0.95

 5.5 The ability to organize specialized nursing rounds, difficult case discussion, special lectures, etc., and put forward guiding opinions

4.71 ± 0.54

0.11

0.96

 5.6 The ability to assess the preferences and available resources of individuals, families, and community residents to facilitate their participation in care decision making and meet their healthcare needs

4.89 ± 0.32

0.06

1

 5.7 The ability to provide consultation based on clinical data, theoretical framework, and evidence

4.71 ± 0.54

0.11

0.96

 5.8 The ability to provide specialized consultation services for individuals and their families*

4.61 ± 0.57

0.12

0.96

6. Ethical/ legal practice

((Ability to provide nursing care in accordance with laws, regulations, and nursing ethics)

4.84 ± 0.37

0.08

1

 6.1 The ability to carry out nursing practices in accordance following legal requirements and organizational policies

4.89 ± 0.32

0.06

1

 6.2 The ability to consider mental health needs of patients when assessing their health and living conditions

4.86 ± 0.37

0.07

1

 6.3 The ability to respect the choice and decision-making rights of patients in nursing practice

4.93 ± 0.26

0.05

1

 6.4 The ability to maintain confidentiality and security of medical and nursing data of patents

4.93 ± 0.26

0.05

1

 6.5 The ability to respect for the privacy and rights of patients

4.89 ± 0.32

0.06

1