Piloting of a nursing and midwifery competence framework in the cultural context of a middle eastern country.

Clinical competence amongst nurses and midwives is vital for the delivery of safe and consistent patient care. However, worldwide there is a lack of agreement on definitions and notions about what constitutes competence and how it can be determined in everyday clinical practice. This situation poses professional dilemmas in situations where competing dialogues exist. This is particularly evident in countries that employ nurses and midwives from diverse national backgrounds with differing professional and educational experiences. To address potential misunderstandings, ensure a consistent approach to the confirmation of clinical competency and assure patient safety, a strategic decision was taken by the nursing and midwifery leadership of the country's major healthcare organisation to develop an organisationally and culturally sensitive competence framework model. This article reports on the design, development and piloting of an educationally led framework model. The model, referred to as 'Q-PACE: Qatar's Practice, Appraisal, Competence and Education', links previously fragmented activities regarding confirmation of clinical competence of staff into a unified holistic process that provides assurance regarding the competence of new and existing employees.