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Diagnose: To identify the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms.
Diversity: A broad range of individual, population, and social characteristics, including but
not limited to age; sex; race; ethnicity; sexual orientation; gender identity; family structures;
geographic locations; national origin; immigrants and refugees; language; any impairment that
substantially limits a major life activity; religious beliefs; and socioeconomic status. Inclusion
represents environmental and organizational cultures in which faculty, students, staff, and
administrators with diverse characteristics thrive. Inclusive environments require intentionality
and embrace differences, not merely tolerate them. Everyone works to ensure the perspectives
and experiences of others are invited, welcomed, acknowledged, and respected in inclusive
environments.
Domains of competence: Broad distinguishable areas of competence that in the aggregate
constitute a general descriptive framework for a profession (Englander et al., 2013, p. 1089).
Emotional intelligence: The ability to perceive, appraise and express emotion, access and
process emotional information, generate feelings, understand emotional knowledge and
regulate emotions for emotional and intellectual growth (Mayer, et al, 1997, p. 10). Emotional
intelligence, like academic intelligence, can be learned, increases with age, and is predictive of
how emotional processing contributes to success in life (Mayer et al., 2004).
Equity: The ability to recognize the differences in the resources or knowledge needed to allow
individuals to fully participate in society, including access to higher education, with the goal
of overcoming obstacles to ensure fairness (Kranich, 2001). To have equitable systems, all
people should be treated fairly, unhampered by artificial barriers, stereotypes, or prejudices
(Cooper, 2016).
Ethical comportment: The way in which nurses embody the ability to relate to others respectfully
and responsively (Benner, 2009. Ethical comportment consists of four critical attributes: 1)
embodiment, 2) skilled relational know-how, 3) caring, and 4) salience (Hardin, 2018).
Ethical competence: The ability to recognize an ethical situation/issue (awareness/sensitivity),
the ability to determine a justifiable action (reflection/decision-making), and have the
motivation, knowledge, and skills to implement a decision (comportment and action) (ANA
Scope & Standards, 2021).
Evidence-based practice: A conscientious, problem-solving approach to clinical practice that
incorporates the best evidence from well-designed studies, patient values and preferences, and
a clinician’s expertise in making decisions regarding a patient’s care. Being knowledgeable about
evidence-based practice and levels of evidence is important for clinicians to be confident about
how much emphasis they should place on a study, report, practice alert or practice guideline
when making decisions about a patient’s care.
Explicit biases: Conscious positive or negative feelings and/or thoughts about groups or identity
characteristics. Because these attitudes are explicit in nature, they are espoused openly,
through overt and deliberate thoughts and actions (Harrison et al., 2019; Wilson et al., 2000)

58 THE ESSENTIALS: CORE COMPETENCIES FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING EDUCATION