الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of the StudyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The care of neonatal patients in the NICU must be provided under the supervision of and by specially trained and experienced nurses (Malusky and Donze, 2011).
Aim of the study
Assess competency of nursing care activities at the neonatal intensive care unit.
Research questions
1- What is the level of nurses’ competencies at the neonatal intensive care unit?
2- Is there a relationship between nurses’ characteristics and their competency level in activities at neonatal intensive care unit?
Subject and Methods
Research design:
A descriptive research design was utilized in the current study.
Research setting:
The study was conducted at the neonatal intensive care units affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals.
Research subjects:
A purposive sample was composed of 70 of neonatal nurses working at the previously mentioned setting, regardless their characteristics.
Tools of data collection:
Data were collected through the use of the following tools:
1- A pre- designed questionnaire (Appendix, II):
It was designed in simple Arabic language by the researcher after reviewing relevant literature and it was revised by a jury of experts in critical care nursing to test its validity. It was used to geather data concerned with characteristics of the studied nurses namely age, gender, qualification, years of experience and work place.
2- Nursing care activities competencies skills at NICU (Appendix, III) were assessed by a Dryfus Rating Scale, 1980.
This scale ”Dryfus modle of skill acquisition” was adopted by the researcher to assess the competency of nursing care activities in the NICU. The scale contained of 19 nursing skills procedures which focused on all neonatal nursing care activities provided for the neonates in the NICU. Each nurse was asked by the researcher to put () in the space that reflect his or her degree of performance either full met (2), partially met (1) not met (0) and not applicable.
Scoring system:
According to nurses’ practice, the score of 80% and more was considered competent of nurses’ competencies skills, while less than 80% was considered as incompetent of nurses’ competencies skills.
II. Operational design:
Field of work:
The study was carried out 3 days per week for 3 months from the 1st of January 2017 to the end of March 2017 using the previously mentioned study tools. Each nurse was individually interviewed by the researcher for 30 minutes. According to their physical and mental readiness in addition to the mitigating circumstances of work environment.
Ethical consideration:
The study proposal was approved by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of the faculty of nursing / Ain Shams University. Also an official permission to conduct the study was secured from pertinent authorities. All participants gave their oral consent to participate in the study. They were secured that the study is harmless. They were informed about the study purpose and about their rights to refuse or withdraw at any time without giving reasons.
Results:
The important findings that obtained from the present study can be summarized as the following:
There were statistically significant difference between growth and development and their age, sex, level of qualification, years of experience, social status, residence, training courses, with p-value (<0.05).
There were statistically significant difference between administration procedure and their social status, training courses, level of qualification, with p-value (<0.05).
There were statistically significant difference between measure vital signs skills competency and their age, social status, residence, years of experience, training courses, level of qualification, with p-value (<0.05).
There were statistically significant difference between asepsis and infection control and their age, social status, residence, years of experience, training courses, level of qualification, with p-value (<0.05).
There were statistically significant difference between hygiene and their age, social status, residence, years of experience, training courses, level of qualification, with p-value (<0.05).
There was no statistically significant difference between Total competent of Neonatal Nursing Competency Checklist level and their sex with p-value (>0.05).
Conclusion and recommendation:
Conclusion:
The study concluded that more than half of the studied nurses were having incompetent nursing care activities at NICU and there was statistically significant difference between the total mean scores of nursing care activities competencies skills at NICU and their ages, qualifications, years of experience and social status.
In the light of the study findings, the following recommendations were suggested:
• Nurses’ competencies in NICU should be regularly assessed and updated.
• Continuous education and training of nurses at NICU should be carried out periodically to provide quality of care for neonates.
• Factors influencing competency of nursing care activities at NICU should be determined and managed.