Delphi Study Consent Form                    Vermont Nurses In Partnership                                                        

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH STUDY

Title of Research Study: Identify Core Components of Nurse Competency Program

Principal Investigator: Susan Boyer, DNP, RN-BC

Research Sponsor: Vermont Nurses in Partnership.
You are being asked to participate in a modified Delphi Study, which is a systematic polling of the opinions of an expert panel knowledgeable on a given topic through iterative surveys in an attempt to reach group consensus on a given topic. The Delphi Study plan was reviewed by  IntegReview IRB, which is accredited by the Assocaiton for the Accreditation of Numan Resarech Protection Programs. The goal of this modified Delphi Study is to define the ideal components within a Nurse Competency Program.  You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you have been identified as an experienced educator or nurse professional development practitioner who fills a role in developing or supporting transition to practice programs for nurses.

Purpose:             The purpose of this research study is to outline contemporary, expert opinion on optimal program components within a nurse competency development/validation model.

Procedures:      If you volunteer to participate in this Delphi Study, we will ask you to do the following:

• Read this recruitment and consent letter, consent to data collection by clicking to advance the page to the survey, complete the limited demographic data, complete the Round 1 Survey as instructed, and submit responses to the specified SurveyMonkey web site by March 23^th.
• Two weeks later you will receive the Round II survey which you will complete according survey instructions and submit to the specified SurveyMonkey web site within two weeks of receipt.
• If an additional round is indicated, you will receive the Round III Survey which you will complete according to the Round III Survey Instructions, and submit this to the specified SurveyMonkey web site within two weeks of receipt.

Time Commitment:        Your participation in the Delphi Study will last for the length of time it takes to read this Delphi Study Consent Form and complete the electronic survey tool for the initial Delphi Study Demographic s and Questionnaire – approximately 20 minutes. 

Each subsequent survey round will require about fifteen (15) minutes for each of the two surveys. Overall participation in the Delphi Study will take approximately one hour.

Potential Risks or Discomforts:                 The risks associated with participation in this study are minimal. If you should feel uncomfortable about participating in the Delphi Study, you can discontinue study participation at any time without repercussions by clicking the SurveyMonkey link asking you to be removed from the mailing list. All data collected will be stored in a password-protected computer file in the Principal Investigator’s (PI) office available only to the PI and research staff.

Potential Benefits:         There are no direct benefits to participants. However, they will have the opportunity to make a contribution to nursing education. On a societal level, the unique knowledge gathered from this study will enhance nurse development efforts, by elucidating competencies and concepts to be included within a fully functional nurse competency program.

Payment for Participation:         You will not receive any payment for participating in this research study.

Confidentiality:                We will make our best efforts to maintain confidentiality of any information that is collected during this research study, and any information that can identify you. We will disclose this information only with your permission or as required by law. We will protect your confidentiality by ensuring that there will be no identifying information on any of the data from the Delphi Study. Your survey submission will be associated with your email address which will be kept in a log that will be stored in a password-protected computer file available only to the PI and research staff. You will need to be contacted by the PI via your email address during the study if you do not respond during the requested time frame between each Delphi round. All data collected will remain confidential. There will be privacy in gathering, storing and handling data. The data will be kept by the PI for three years. After that, all materials will be destroyed.

The research team and government agencies that oversee this type of research may have access to research data and records in order to monitor the research.  Research records provided to authorized individuals on the research team will not contain identifiable information about you. Publications and/or presentations that result from this study will not identify you by name.

Participants’ Rights:      Your participation in this research study is entirely voluntary. If you decide not to participate, there will be no penalty to you, and you will not lose any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You can decide to withdraw your consent and stop participating in the research at any time, without any penalty.

Questions, Comments or Concerns:       If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the research, you can talk to the researcher, Dr. Susan Boyer:   sb.vnip@gmail.com       

The Delphi Study Consent Form is an internet consent form which will allow respondents to learn about the study and determine whether to consent to participate or not. continuance with data entry in the survey tool indicates your consent, but this can be withdrawn at any time by simply exiting the survey.
If you consent to participate in the research study, please return to the web-based survey tool.