Developing Core Competency Assessment Metrics for Dementia Care for Geriatric Nurse Specialists: A Delphi Method Study

Purpose: The current study sought to develop a set of core competency assessment metrics for dementia care for geriatric nurse specialists, serving as a foundational resource for training assessment and competency evaluation. Method: An initial framework was established through literature review and qualitative interviews. Then, using Delphi expert consensus method, a questionnaire was distributed to experts across eight Chinese provinces. Results: Three rounds of expert consensus were conducted. The resulting core competency framework comprised six dimensions and 39 competencies. Expert authority coefficients were 0.904, 0.891, and 0.891, with importance scores of entries ranging from 3.76 to 4.95, and coefficients of variation ranging from 0.06 to 0.24. Conclusion: The developed dementia care core competency indicator system exhibited robust scientific validity and reliability, serving as a valuable reference for the training, assessment, and standardization of dementia care competencies among geriatric nurse specialists in China.