Competency Needs of Nurses in Municipal In-Patient Acute Care Services (MipAC)
This is a scoping review of the competency needs of nurses in Municipal In-patient Acute Care Services (MipAC) and is based on Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. The review includes 18 research and development works from the period 2012–2024. All the studies were conducted within a Norwegian context and illuminate nursing competence as practiced and developed within MipAC. The aim of the review is to identify, describe, and summarize knowledge regarding the competencies nurses require to ensure professionally responsible and comprehensive treatment in MipAC. Additionally, it provides an overview of the legal, political, and professional documents that regulate and guide municipal responsibilities for MipAC in Norway.
The 18 included studies show that nurses in MipAC have broad responsibilities for assessing and managing complex patient pathways, often in situations with limited access to physicians. Advanced clinical competence is highlighted as crucial for ensuring patient safety and professional quality, especially in acute and unpredictable situations. Relational competence and communication skills are described as central in interactions with patients, relatives, and other professionals and for ensuring efficient collaboration across services. Additionally, several studies indicate that organizational competence is important for ensuring clear routines, information flow, and coordination both within MipAC and among different levels of the healthcare system.
The review points to significant variations in nurses’ competencies and access to training. Several studies call for systematic competency enhancement, particularly in advanced clinical competence, emergency medicine, geriatrics, and mental health. There is also a highlighted need for improved training in interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership, and organization. Across the studies, there is a clear need for further research on how nurses’ competencies can be developed to meet increasing demands for quality, collaboration, and complexity in municipal healthcare services.