Background: Individuals who have recently completed accredited courses and are eligible to register as a nurse in\nAustralia are often referred to as not being ââ?¬Ë?work-readyââ?¬â?¢ by clinically based colleagues. This project identified the\nlevel of competence that can be reasonably expected of a newly registered nurse (RN) graduating in Australia. The\nresearch was undertaken using the necessary skills identified by Crookes and Brown in 2010.\nMethods: A consensus methodology using a modified Delphi technique invited experienced nurses to identify the\nlevel of competency expected by the new RN in each of the skills areas.\nResults: More than half of respondents did not believe that new graduates could practice independently in 18 of\nthe 30 skills areas. There were only four skills areas where more than two thirds of the respondents believed the\nnew graduate could operate independently.\nConclusions: There is a lack of clarity about the level of competency of the newly graduating registered nurse in\nAustralia. The profession and employers need clarity regarding the areas and level of competence that can\nreasonably be expected of a newly graduated RN. Utilising the findings of this research will enable the skills and\ncompetencies to be integrated into eligibility to practice programmes. Further research needs to be undertaken to\nreview the foci of nursing preparation programmes to meet the needs of novice practitioners and the health care\nconsumer population.
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