Funders:
- Menzies School of Health Research
Collaborators:
- St John of God Health Care
- DNASH (National Directorate of Hospitals)
- Australian Catholic University
Aim:
The aim of this study is to explore definitions and perceptions of nursing and midwifery competence and confidence in Timor-Leste.
Research Questions:
The study will seek to answer:
- How do nurses and midwives conceptualise competence?
- What are the self-reported levels of confidence in practising nurses and midwives
- What are the self-reported level of competence in nursing/midwifery professional roles
- What systemic mechanisms exist to build, test and measure competency in Timor-Leste?
Secondary Research Questions:
Secondary research questions will be obtained through the questionnaire as well as during focus group discussion.
- What exposure do staff have competency testing and measurement in Timor-Leste?
- Do any variables affect the primary research questions? These will include general demographic/training data including sex, age, institution and level of training, post-graduation experience in terms of years and specialty area, ongoing professional development opportunities.
- Are there relationships between perceived levels of confidence/competence? For example, do nurses with higher confidence rate their competence more highly?
- What competencies/skills do nurses/midwives perform frequently in their roles and do they receive formal competency testing of these skills?
- How do nurses perceive their competence against peers?
- What factors do they believe could increase their competence and confidence?
Anticipated Outcomes of this Research:
- Provide novel data on levels of nursing confidence and competence
- Demonstrate effective utilization of a novel measurement tools to measure competence/confidence that are context appropriate and provides useful information.
- Improve understanding of how nurses/midwives compare themselves against peers.
- Provide novel data on the relationship between perceived and measured competence
- Provide insight into how competence systematised in Timor-Leste
- Examine the relationship between key demographic variables and perceived and measured competency and confidence
- Provide insight into education programs design to improve teaching and learning outcomes in a low-middle resource country context
Chief Investigator:
- Benjamin Dingle
Project Manager:
- Salvador Amaral
Contact information:
Project dates:
- Jan 2023 - Dec 2023
Project information for participants:
- All nurses/midwives working in clinical areas in Hospitals in Timor-Leste are eligible and encouraged to participate in this study.
- Data collection commencing at HNGV in Feb 2023. District referral hospitals to follow.