Da construção à validação de um referencial de compet├¬ncias para uma Licenciatura em Enfermagem [Design and validation of a framework of competencies for a degree in nursing]

Higher Education institutions across Europe are concerned in training students with transferable competencies that allow them to cope with the uncertainties of the knowledge society and be prepared to adapt to new conditions of employment and potential career shifts. This article describes the process of designing and validating a framework of generic competencies essential for the adequate professional performance of nursing graduates from a Portuguese School of Health. Comprising 59 generic competencies, the framework resulted from a work of literature review, documental analysis and an empirical study. The latter consisted of data collection from three in depth interviews, surveys to lecturers (n=12), graduates of the School (n=7) and employers in the professional area (n= 3). The first version of the framework was validated by an expert in the area.