Core clinical competency indicators for master of nursing specialist (anaesthesia) students in China: a delphi study.
BACKGROUND Competency training is essential for cultivating qualified anaesthesia Master of Nursing Specialist (MNS) graduates. Although a previous study has established relevant competency dimensions for anaesthesia nursing, no refined framework with operationalized indicators is currently available for Chinese MNS anaesthesia students. OBJECTIVE To construct an index system for the core clinical competencies of MNS anaesthesia students. METHODS Following literature screening, 26 eligible publications were selected to draft preliminary indicators. Semi-structured interviews with 15 participants were performed, and interview data were analysed via thematic coding.21 experts from 11 regions across China completed two rounds of Delphi surveys. Indicators were rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with expert consensus determined by predefined statistical cut-offs (mean importance score ≥ 3.5, coefficient of variation (CV) ≤ 0.25, ≥ 75% ratings ≥ 4) combined with comprehensive expert revision opinions. RESULTS The response rates of the two Delphi rounds were 100% and 95.24%, respectively. The expert authority coefficients (Cr) were 0.95 and 0.96, indicating high reliability of the consultation results. In the second round, Kendall's concordance coefficients (W) for the first, second, and third-level indicators were 0.552 (strong consensus), 0.324 (moderate consensus), and 0.254 (weak-moderate consensus) respectively (P < 0.01), which indicated that the consistency of expert opinions was statistically significant and the consultation results were valid. The range of coefficient of variation was from 0.05 to 0.25. The final indicator system included 8 first-level indicators, 39 s-level indicators, and 109 third-level indicators. CONCLUSION Core clinical competency indicators for MNS anaesthesia students, established in this study, achieved expert consensus validity. These competency indicators can serve as a theoretical reference for the future training and assessment of MNS postgraduates in this field.