Browsing by Subject "Competency"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Certified registered nurse anesthetists' professional recertification process: a grounded theory.
    (2011-06) Marienau, Mary E. Shirk
    This qualitative study was designed to develop a grounded theory that would provide an understanding of what certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and their colleagues value and expect from the nurse anesthesia profession's recertification process. The grounded theory was based on analysis of the data obtained from a total of 27 CRNAs during four face-to-face focus group sessions. Analysis of the data from mailed surveys completed by 21 CRNA associates also contributed to the grounded theory. Rank order scaling of the survey activities identified three recertification activities CRNA associates felt would provide assurance of CRNA competency: (1) Hands-on simulation testing, (2) continuing medical education (e.g., interactive workshops), and (3) written exams. Focus group participants indicated that hands-on simulation experience and testing provided the most assurance of CRNA competency. Analysis of the focus group and survey data resulted in themes, which established that a recertification process fostering a commitment to professional lifelong learning and providing an assurance of CRNA competency was needed. The resultant grounded theory, based on voices from within the nurse anesthesia profession, supports the development of a systematic view of the profession's recertification process. The grounded theory can inform the nurse anesthesia profession as it seeks to develop a recertification process that assures CRNAs' competency. It provides direction for the profession and aids in the determination of future actions which would assure CRNA competency. The presentation of the theory in three distinct formats using narrative statement, table, and visual illustration provides the foundation for a strong competency-based recertification design for the nurse anesthetist profession. The grounded theory may also provide direction for other medical specialties and non-medical professions (e.g., legal, business, and education) as they look towards providing needed assurances of competency to the public, patients, clients, students, and governmental regulatory agencies.
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    The role of assessment center work simulation exercises in determining or influencing assessors’ judgments of leadership competencies.
    (2011-06) Jaeger, Kerri Shear
    The study purpose was to examine how leadership skills and abilities are measured using the assessment center method. The specific question addressed was whether the work simulation ratings made unique, incremental contributions to the overall competency ratings over and above those from the testing. Archival data from a consulting firm specializing in leadership assessment were used to address the research questions. The population consisted of 200 manager and executives assessed for selection or development over 3 years. For each of the 8 competencies, a preliminary backwards stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to eliminate personality and motives inventory scales that did not significantly contribute to the overall leadership competency rating. Upon determining which variables should remain in the full analyses, eight multiple regression analyses were conducted in which variables were introduced in two blocks, the first of which contained the remaining cognitive ability testing and personality and motives inventory scales, while the latter added work simulation ratings. Results showed that work simulation exercises made significant contributions to assessors’ ratings of 7 of the 8 overall leadership competencies. Assessors considered half of the 8 competencies to be trait-based, and thus expected to draw more heavily on the personality and motives inventory scales and cognitive ability test score when making judgments of these overall competency ratings. Similarly, assessors considered the other four competencies to be skill-based, suggesting greater reliance on the performance-based simulations when determining overall competency ratings. These assumptions were upheld for 6 of the 8 competencies. Assessors expected to rely more on simulation data for 2 of the competencies they considered to be skill-based, but in fact, ended up placing more weight on the personality and motives inventories and cognitive ability test results. Implications for future research include conducting similar analyses of individual assessors’ overall competency model determinations, doing predictive validity studies, such as on-the-job performance studies that seek to determine the most predictive sources of data, and studying how these findings could be applied to design simulations in such a manner as to yield the most useful information to assessors when making their judgments of overall leadership competencies.
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    A study of external school evaluators' competencies for grade levels 1-12 quality assessment in Thailand
    (2015-01) Roengsumran, Arisara
    Competent school evaluators may be able to identify the causes of underachieving schools and provide data that will help school practitioners to improve teaching and learning. In Thailand, a sizeable portion of the government budget has been spent on educational evaluation under the responsibility of the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA), highlighting the important role that school evaluators can potentially play in improving Thai schools. This study updated two sets of competencies for external educational evaluators of school quality at grade levels 1-12 in the Thai educational context as originally developed by Guah (2004) and Piyamas (2005). To conduct this update, the researcher used knowledge from the scholarly literature on evaluator competencies and, through four extensive surveys, collected opinions and suggestions from Thai evaluation and education experts as part of the process of developing a new set of competencies for Thai external school evaluators. The Combination Job Analysis Method (C-JAM) was used as a framework to collect and analyze data. Two sets of competencies, one for training and one for selecting evaluators, are proposed along with recommendations for practice and for additional research.