Practice readiness continues to be a challenge in healthcare. This was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. This focused descriptive–correlational study examined nurses’ perceived preparedness for practice during the pandemic. One hundred and eighty-four registered nurses (RN) responded to Qualtrics survey questions addressing the competencies they perceived they had and the competencies they felt they needed that would have better prepared them to care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results demonstrated that although these nurses felt competent in certain areas, they perceived that they needed more education in those same areas to feel better prepared. Bivariate correlations and linear regression analysis indicated that institutional competency development, education, and work experience influenced perceived competency.

Frontline nurse leaders direct staff and unit systems while ensuring that quality, safe patient care is provided. It is unknown if frontline nurse leaders oriented with only on-the-job-training are competent and if a professional development program will improve their competencies. This project’s purpose was to measure self-assessed competencies, using the Nurse Manager Inventory Tool, of 38 frontline nurse leaders. This project used a quasi-experimental design and utilized pre- and postsurvey for evaluation purposes of a leadership development curriculum.

Background: Reconceptualized nursing education can prepare registered nurses to practice at the full scope of licensure on interprofessional teams across care continua while enhancing the quality of health care systems. Problem: Traditional nursing programs minimally address primary care competencies. Rapidly changing managed care models demand nurses develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively deliver population health, primary care, care coordination, and disease prevention/management services across care continua. Approach: A faculty team built an innovative concept and competency-based accelerated bachelor of science in nursing primary care–focused curriculum integrating behavioral health, aesthetic knowing, and technology. Outcomes: The curriculum was implemented twice, with the third cohort mid-program. Program evaluation is ongoing. Conclusion: A paradigm shift in nursing education may improve population-based biobehavioral wellness, disease prevention, and chronic disease management. Future research should focus on how this innovative curricular approach builds essential nursing competencies and enhances digital fluency, observation, communication, empathy, and critical thinking skills.

Adolescent suicide and mental illness have increased at alarming rates. Healthcare professionals report a lack of skill and confidence in obtaining adolescent histories and managing confidential care due to limited training in residency. Nursing professional development practitioners face challenges of adequately preparing interdisciplinary healthcare providers to assess, identify, and intervene at all points of contact with adolescents. To increase the confidence in clinical communication skills and clinical competency, and to increase the number of social work referrals related to modifiable risk factors for adolescent patients, a Texas pediatric tertiary care center utilized standardized patient (SP) methodology to supplement traditional clinical experiences with communication-focused education based on the Home, Education, Eating, Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, Suicidality, and Safety (HEEADSSS) interviewing. This quality improvement (QI) pilot demonstrated the benefits of utilizing standardized patient methodology in communication-focused education based on the HEEADSSS interviewing. Following the SP simulations, confidence in clinical communication skills increased by 13%, clinical competency in performing comprehensive psychosocial interviews increased by 11%, use of HEEADSSS increased by 64%, and social work referrals increased by 89%. This interdisciplinary SP interviewing simulation pilot was beneficial in improving the 36 physician and nursing residents’ ability to conduct psychosocial assessments for risk factors of suicidality among adolescents.