Identification of specific nursing competencies for older adults care in the community

Foundation: care for the elderly has its specificities, so the quality of the health service is based on its workers' skills, the fulfillment of their work and social functions, which constitutes a real challenge today. Objective: to identify specific nursing competencies for older adults caring in the community. Methods: a qualitative study was carried out in the Cienfuegos Municipal Health Directorate during the year 2023. The studied universe was made up of 100% of the staff and managers who work in this entity. The studied variable was specific professional nursing competencies for older adults caring in the community. The methodology was used to evaluate occupational health skills. Results: the documentary analysis shows a significant reduction in the time used to work with the elderly and professional competencies are not declared; The interviewees stated that nursing professionals do not have adequate preparation to work with older adults in the community; the received knowledge are not enough, are superficial, not very updated, with insufficient basic nursing literature and that they do not seek alternatives for improvement. From the previous analysis, eleven specific competencies validated by expert criteria emerged. Conclusions: the specific nursing competencies identified for the older adults care in the community will promote the critical, creative and independent thinking of nursing professionals in problem solving; which demand individualized forms of professional performance from a comprehensive vision of the older adult in the community.