Entrustable professional activities for quality and patient safety

Background: Further efforts are warranted to identify innovative approaches to best implement competencies in nursing education. To bridge the gap between competency-based education, practice, and implementation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, one emerging approach is entrustable professional activities (EPAs). Purpose: The objective of this study was to introduce the concept of EPAs as a framework for curriculum and assessment in graduate nursing education and training. Methods: Seven steps are provided to develop EPAs for nurses through the example of a quality and safety EPA. The example incorporates the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) patient safety competencies and evidence-based literature. Findings: EPAs provide a practical approach to integrating competencies in nursing as quality and safety are the cornerstones of nursing practice, education, and research. Discussion: Introducing the EPA concept in nursing is timely as we look to identify opportunities to enhance nurse practitioner (NP) training models and implement nurse residency programs.