U.S. Army Professional Filler System nursing personnel: do they possess competency needed for deployment?

The objective of this study was to identify the perceived readiness of U.S. Army Professional Filler System personnel in regard to nursing competency and readiness for deployment. A purposive sample of research participants (N = 131) from two military treatment facilities assigned to Great Plains Regional Medical Command responded to an electronic Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index (READI). The READI measures self-reported competencies in six dimensions of nursing readiness. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Although the research surveyed three levels of nursing skills (registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, and certified nursing assistant), the study results were noted to be quite parallel across the groups. Significant differences were noted throughout the six dimensions of the READI and between the two military treatment facilities in the dimensions of operational nursing competencies and personal and psychological readiness. Findings support the need for a structured core competency tool to provide succinct focused training to ensure deployment readiness.