Creating Competency Statements for Your Nursing Program: Models, Tips and Tools
At some point, nearly every nurse educator has written a reference letter describing a student as “competent”. Likewise, when discussing students who are struggling, we might say “She hasn’t yet reached the expected level of competence.” While we usually know what we mean by “competent”, it’s not always clear to others. This lack of clarity, along with the complexity of the current health care system, is driving the shift toward Competency-Based Education (CBE) in nursing programs.
Although some nursing programs—like other health professions —have incorporated competency-based approaches for many years, it has become more common. One catalyst was the AACN’s 2021 publication: The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf). Other nursing/accreditation organizations are also encouraging the use of competencies to prepare and evaluate nursing students. For example, NLN has published a Competency -Based Education Toolkit to support nursing faculty in implementing this approach. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf).
Competency-Based Education (CBE)
As promised in our February 2025 Collaborative Momentum Consulting blog, we’re diving deeper into CBE- starting with a discussion of competency statements. Traditionally, nursing programs have used program goals, or student learning outcomes, to define the knowledge, skills and attitudes students should demonstrate by graduation. However, these outcomes are frequently too broad or abstract to support reliable measurement. In addition, course objectives are often not aligned with program goals, making it difficult to accurately assess learners’ competency.
Clear, measurable exit competency statements help faculty develop desired competencies which articulate behaviors necessary for successful practice post-graduation. Once these exit competencies are established, more specific competence statements (often referred to as sub-competencies) can suggest assessment measures to evaluate learners’ abilities as they move through the course of study. This backward design of the curriculum provides a roadmap to guide learners and faculty in assessing the knowledge and behaviors necessary for practice.
How to Develop Effective Competency Statements in Nursing Education
Creating effective competency statements requires three essential actions:
- Define exit competencies that clearly reflect the outcomes your program—and its stakeholders—expect of graduates.
- Align course-level competencies with these exit competencies to ensure consistency across the curriculum.
- Write each course-level competency using proven criteria to ensure clarity, measurability, and relevance.
Criteria for Writing Strong Competency Statements
- Be clear and specific– Avoid vague language to ensure accurate assessment of student behaviors.
- Include measurable, observable behaviors– Statements should serve as a guide for faculty and learners.
- Focus on evidence-based, practice-relevant skills -Draw from literature and feedback from practice partners.
- Ensure statements are understandable– Competencies should be clear to students, faculty, and other stakeholders.
- Use rubrics for assessment– Rubrics help document relevant behavior tied to each competency.
- Sequence competencies across the curriculum– Illustrate the gradual increase in the complexity of the desired competence. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Essentials/Guiding-Principles-for-CBE-Assessment.pdf)
Are there Models for Developing Competency Statements?
Models or examples of competency statements that demonstrate the above criteria are often important to review, as you craft competency statements for your own curriculum. If you’re unsure how to structure these statements effectively, you are not alone and resources are available. For example, those graduate and undergraduate nursing programs requesting accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) must integrate relevant competencies/sub-competencies (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf) into their curricula. Even if your program will not be accredited by CCNE, these provide excellent examples of nursing competencies and sub-competencies at various levels. Other resources for examples of competencies include:
- NLN Education Competency Model, which includes Core Competencies for Nurse Educators and Competence-Based Education. https://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/uploadedfiles/professional-development-programs/education-competencies-model-pdf.pdf
- ANA Nursing Leadership Scope and Standard 3rd edition https://www.nursingworld.org/nurses-books/nursing-leadership-scope-and-standards-of-practice-3rd-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOor4A3h9mgCJg9Aduyd6Kid7ATGJZ5xRS4gKwe-wcntjCYBcDF5H
- AONL Core Competencies https://www.aonl.org/resources/nurse-leader-competencies
Determining competences and related behaviors you expect students to exhibit throughout the nursing curriculum and upon graduation is critical to preparing successful nurses. After all, what matters most isn’t just what nurses know-It’s what they can do with that knowledge that makes the difference in the practice arena.
I look forward to continuing discussions about Concept-Based Education throughout the year. I am eager to hear about how you’re approaching this shift in your program and what strategies are working for you.
Susy
For more information on how nurse educators can successfully navigate these changes, tune in and subscribe to our Nurse Educators Now Podcast. You can find us on YouTube or Spotify.
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References
American College of Collegiate Nursing (2021) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf)
AACN (2022) Guiding Principles for Competency Based Education. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Essentials/Guiding-Principles-for-CBE-Assessment.pdf)
Jones-Schenk, J. (2025) Competency-Based Education coming to a Nursing Program near you. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. 56 (1):8-9.