Developing Competencies and Increasing Awareness of Staff Capabilities in a Neonatal Unit: A Mixed-methods Intervention Project

Background and Rationale

Safe neonatal care depends on effective coordination among healthcare professionals working across shifts and roles. In daily clinical practice, decisions about task allocation rely on shared understanding of staff competencies. When such understanding is limited, staff may hesitate to act, rely on informal assumptions, or experience uncertainty about their own or others' roles.

While educational and quality improvement initiatives are commonly used in clinical settings, less attention has been given to how competencies are made visible, shared, and actively used in everyday coordination. This study addresses that gap by introducing an intervention designed to support both the development of clinical competencies and awareness of available expertise within the neonatal unit.

Aim

The aim of the study is to examine how a structured intervention may support staff in a neonatal unit in developing clinical competencies while increasing awareness of each other's capabilities in everyday clinical work.

Study Design

The study is conducted as a mixed-methods intervention study combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The design includes both impact-oriented evaluation and process-oriented inquiry to support understanding of how the intervention unfolds in practice.

Setting and Participants

The study takes place in a neonatal unit. Participants include nursing staff and clinical coordinators involved in daily clinical care and shift coordination. Participation in questionnaires and interviews is voluntary.

Intervention

The intervention will be implemented over a 12-month period. It is designed as a flexible and participatory initiative aimed at supporting clinical competence development and increasing awareness of staff capabilities.

Intervention activities may include collaborative competency mapping, facilitated reflection on roles and responsibilities, and learning activities intended to support confidence, coordination, and task allocation. Simulation-based activities may be introduced as part of the intervention, with content adapted to the local clinical context.

Clinical coordinators and local staff will be involved in planning and adapting activities throughout the intervention period. The content, format, and frequency of activities may be adjusted over time based on feedback and practical experience within the unit.

Evaluation Overview

The evaluation includes both process-oriented and impact-oriented components. Together, these approaches aim to support understanding of how the intervention is implemented and how potential changes in staff experiences and clinical coordination may emerge in practice.

Ethical Considerations

The study involves healthcare professionals only. Participation is voluntary, and data are handled confidentially in accordance with applicable regulations.