Development of the Gerontological Nursing Competency Questionnaire

Abstract AIM The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure competencies of gerontological nursing faculty. BACKGROUND There is no accepted instrument to assess competencies of gerontological nursing faculty. METHOD To develop the Gerontological Nursing Competency Questionnaire (GNCQ), we used a modified Delphi technique focused on consensus building among experts from the National Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence. The 25-item GNCQ measures confidence in knowledge, confidence in teaching, and interest in further training in gerontological nursing. The instrument was piloted in a large nursing department at a university in southern California. RESULTS Low faculty competencies in knowledge and teaching and low interest in further training were observed. CONCLUSION The GNCQ demonstrated initial content validity and an ability to identify key areas of deficiency in knowledge and teaching among nursing faculty. It may be used for improvement initiatives in gerontological nursing programs.