Volume 13, Issue 8 (August 2026), Pages: 257-263

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 Original Research Paper

Developing a prehospital emergency competency framework for nursing students: A Delphi study based on the Dreyfus model

 Author(s): 

Mali Song ¹, Hongbin Luo ², Jestoni Maniago ^{1, 3,} *

 Affiliation(s):

¹College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, St. Paul University Manila, Manila, Philippines
²Guangzhou Emergency Medical Command Center, Guangzhou, China
³School of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8603-3094

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.08.025

 Abstract

This study aimed to develop a systematic, evidence-based framework for prehospital emergency competencies in nursing education, providing theoretical guidance and a practical reference for developing emergency skills among undergraduate nursing students. Guided by the Dreyfus skill acquisition model, a multi-method design was employed, including a systematic literature review, semi-structured interviews with frontline prehospital emergency nurses and nursing education experts, and two rounds of Delphi consultation with 23 experts. The preliminary framework was developed based on the literature, refined through interviews, and evaluated for importance and feasibility during the Delphi process. Expert consensus was assessed using expert engagement, authority coefficients, and Kendall’s W coordination coefficients. The response rates for the two Delphi rounds were 85.19% and 95.65%, with authority coefficients of 0.94 and 0.92, respectively (>0.70). The coefficients of variation for importance ratings ranged from 0.003 to 0.080, indicating acceptable consistency among experts. The final framework comprised 4 first-level indicators, 9 second-level indicators, and 28 third-level behavioral indicators, covering theoretical knowledge, professional technical skills, professional competence, and personal qualities. The finalized competency framework is comprehensive and evidence-based and reflects current clinical demands. It provides a structured reference for undergraduate prehospital emergency nursing education, supports curriculum design, and lays the foundation for the future development of competency-based assessment tools.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Prehospital nursing, Undergraduate nursing education, Competency framework, Emergency competencies, Delphi method

 Article history

Received 3 March 2026, Received in revised form 9 August 2026, Accepted 29 August 2026

 Acknowledgment

The authors sincerely thank all experts and nursing students who participated in this study for their valuable time, professional insights, and support throughout the research process. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ethics Review Committee of St. Paul University Manila (Approval No.2026-054-IDA-CNAHS). All participants were informed of the purpose and procedures of the study, and written informed consent was obtained prior to participation. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality and anonymity were ensured throughout the study process. 

 Citation:

Song M, Luo H, and Maniago J (2026). Developing a prehospital emergency competency framework for nursing students: A Delphi study based on the Dreyfus model. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(8): 257-263

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