The aim of this concept analysis paper was to critically analyze the practice inquiry
competency of nurse practitioners as a concept using the Wilsonian approach. The novelty
of practice inquiry competency, one of the entry level nurse practitioner’s core competencies
is nascent. The Wilsonian approach of concept analysis provided the framework.
Web searches using Google Scholar and databases from PubMed, CINAHL, Science Direct,
ProQuest, and Medline provided related literature from 1963-2013 to capture the evolution
of the Wilsonian approach to concept analysis.
The sample cases of the Wilsonian concept analysis process validated that the
impetus of practice inquiry competency is greater when used in collaboration with healthcare
professionals.
The paucity of scholarly works on practice inquiry as a novel competency of nurse
practitioners makes this an opportune time for both nurse researchers and doctoral students
in nursing to develop and analyze concepts toward building a stronger foundation for
nursing theory and then evaluating its impact on health.