The anatomy of a competency.

In response to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) standards, many educators are involved in implementing competency-based orientation as a format for assessing and validating competence. Written competencies are the tools of this important process. The purpose of this article is to help educators understand the basic elements of a competency and show them how to develop a well written competency. Suggestions for validating initial and continued competence are also included.