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PDNS Core Competencies

 

Introduction & Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive neurological condition affecting an estimated 6.3 million people worldwide¹.  As this disease most commonly affects people of advanced age, the incidence is expected to rise with the ageing of the world’s population².  As such, it is anticipated that PD will place new, long-term demands on health care systems worldwide – systems already plagued by rising care costs, inadequate financial resources and workforce shortages.  Within this context, the role of the PDNS will become increasing important to the provision of equitable, safe and effective health services for PD patients and their carers living throughout the world.

 

The Role of the PDNS

The role of the PDNS was first introduced in the United Kingdom (UK) in the early 1990s in response to an expressed need by people with Parkinson’s and their families³. Over the past decade, increased recognition has been given to the important role these nurses play in the care and management of this patient population.  In addition to improving access to services, it has been demonstrated that the involvement and intervention of the PDNS can "reduce the need for hospital admissions, outpatient appointments and consultations, as well as improve clinical outcomes and quality of life" ⁴.

 

Need for an International Framework

The current lack of available information on how PDNS practice is organised internationally makes it difficult to accurately estimate the number of nurses practicing in this role. However, it is known that the UK constitutes the majority of posts.  Whilst the UK has been instrumental in developing and promoting the role of the PDNS, limited work has been done to support the systematic and uniform development of this professional group across the world.  This is particularly the case in the area of professional standards and competency development.  The need to establish standards and core competencies for the PDNS at national and regional levels has been driven by patient demand for the provision of an international consistent, quality service.

Against this backdrop, the time is right to establish an international profile and framework of core competencies and standards for the PDNS.  The benefits in doing so are wide-reaching and include: improving the quality of PDNS services; promoting professional accountability; shaping curricula development; advancing research; increasing public awareness of the level of competence to be expected; guiding human resource planning; guiding the development of job descriptions and career pathways; and shaping policy.

 

Development of PDNS Standards

Development of PDNS standards and core competencies will serve clients and nurses nationally and regionally.  In addition, the programme of work will, by necessity, require the development of a specialist framework; currently the missing link between generalist entry level and advanced practice frameworks globally.

Fostering the uniform development of PDNS practice and promoting more consistent levels of care will contribute to improving both the quality of services provided to people with Parkinson’s and their carers and the performance of this professional group, and influence the development of other specialised nursing standards and competencies globally.