By James X. Stobinski
In my column this month, I would like to speak about the assessment of noncognitive competencies which have been the topic of some recent discussion in the certification industry. These competencies have been described as “… a range of personal attributes that are referred to under various labels, such as personality characteristics, soft skills, social and emotional competencies, or 21st century skills.” 4 For the sake of readability let us use the term “soft skills” to refer to these noncognitive competencies.
Many of us are familiar with the acronym KSA referring to Knowledge, Skill and Abilities as the components of competency.³ Credentialing bodies, like my organization the Competency and Credentialing Institute, have traditionally focused on measuring knowledge and skills which are cognitive or psychomotor properties. Knowledge-based tests – which are a staple of certification programs – are, by default, used as proxies for competency. However, knowledge, even if tested well, is but one segment of competency within the KSA framework. A fuller picture of competency emerges when we also examine the soft skills which are inherent in a role such as perioperative nursing.
Although extensively used in human resources functions the use of soft skills assessments are new for certification bodies and few nurses have had extensive experience in such assessments. Some certification bodies are beginning to take some early steps in the use of soft skills assessments. At CCI, a soft skills assessment is one of the four segments of the newly accredited Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse (CFPN) certification. Early career perioperative nurses take the 16pf assessment provided by Talogy and receive a detailed score report outlining their relative strengths, areas for improvement and suggestions for additional training. ² CFPN applicants then write a graded Reflective Learning Exercise on these results and other feedback received in the CFPN credentialing process.
The work of CCI in this early use of soft skills assessments was recently detailed in the publication Credentialing Insights.5 The assessment of soft skills facilitates a more comprehensive assessment of candidates. Traditional examination processes have been refined for decades and do a very reliable job of measuring knowledge. Noncognitive skills may be developed through the application of knowledge and skill in purposeful practice. Thus, if an efficient method were devised for measuring the requisite soft skills essential to a given role such as perioperative nursing it is theoretically possible to enhance these noncognitive skills and therefore increase the competency of the practitioner.
There is some data that suggests noncognitive assessments can serve as predictors of training success. If these predictors could be ascertained for perioperative nurse education and training activities soft skills assessments could be used to screen candidates for these resource intensive orientation programs. The employer could then screen candidates and select those who surpass a minimum threshold which would give a higher likelihood of successful completion of the training. This would allow for more efficient use of scarce education and training resources.
O*NET OnLine, a resource maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor, informs us that deductive reasoning, problem sensitivity, inductive reasoning and originality are among the soft skills of registered nurses. ¹ But this resource does not list the soft skills for perioperative nursing. These skills could be identified through job practice analysis methods commonly done by certification boards. This is the opportunity for credentialing bodies, linking the data from soft skills assessments to individualized learning or skill development identified in a job analysis. This has the potential to increase the competency of the certificant, but these individualized professional development plans are not yet widely used.
– James X. Stobinski, Ph.D. RN CNOR CNAMB CSSM(E), is CEO of the Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI).
References:
1. National Center for O*NET Development (2022, October 18) Registered Nurses. https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1141.00
2. Talogy (2022). Reveal the potential in personality with 16pf®. https://www.talogy.com/en/talent-management-solutions/assessments/16pf-personality-assessment/
3. United States Department of Veterans Affairs (2009, November 9) What are KSAs?
4. KSAs — Knowledge, Skill, Ability. https://www.va.gov/JOBS/hiring/apply/ksa.asp
5. Weiner, J., Gray, G., Friedman, C. & Stobinski, J.X. (2017). [technical paper]. Assessing Non-Cognitive Competence. Institute for Credentialing Excellence, Research & Development Committee.
6. Weiner, J., (2022, February 4). The Increasing Importance of Noncognitive Competencies: Opportunities for Credentialing Assessment. The Institute for Credentialing Excellence. Credentialing Insights. https://www.credentialinginsights.org/Article/the-increasing-importance-of-noncognitive-competencies-opportunities-for-credentialing-assessment-1
