Research Design The study will utilize a descriptive design and quantitative method for data analysis.

According to Denise F. Polit, descriptive research answers specific questions by describing and elaborating on the nature of a certain phenomenon. There are different types under this category: survey, feasibility study, case study, content analysis, correlation study, and comparative study. This study is a survey. This type of research collects self-reported data from respondents through the mail, phone, the internet, personal contact, mostly through the use of questionnaires and interviews. It aims to describe populations in relation to the specific variables under study (Salustiano, 2009).

Locale and Population The study will involve the following government hospitals in Rizal: Angono General Hospital, Rizal Provincial Hospital, Taytay Emergency Hospital, Binagonan Municipal Hospital, Antipolo Commmunity Hospital. The respondents will be head nurses of the emergency units of the aforementioned hospitals. The head nurses should have managed the emergency nurses who will be evaluated for 4 years or more. The emergency room nurses whose competency levels will be assessed should satisfy the following inclusion criteria: 1.They specialize in providing nursing care in the emergency unit; 2. They are registered nurses in the Philippines; 3. Male or female; 4.They have been working in the emergency unit for 2 to 3 years. They were selected using purposive sampling technique.

Research Instrumentation A self-administered questionnaire, particularly, a 5-point Likert scale will be utilized to measure competency level of the emergency room nurses. The questionnaire is based on the standards set by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). The ENA is the national Association for professional nurses in the United States dedicated to the advancement of emergency nursing practice. ENA serves its members by achieving the following aims: 1. To be the definitive authority on emergency nursing; 2. To define the standards of excellence for emergency nursing; 3. To promote the specialty of emergency nursing; 4. To promote quality emergency care through continuing education activities; 5. To be the resource for emergency nursing practice, professionalism, education, research, and consultation; 6. To identify and address emergency care issues; 7. To work collaboratively with other health-related organizations toward the improvement of emergency care; 8. To affirm the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses whether you are a staff nurse or manager in an emergency department, an administrator, prehospital, flight, pediatric or trauma emergency nurse, an emergency clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, student or educator.

The tools content validity was computed by consulting three experts on the field of emergency nursing. The experts were made to judge the relevance of each question in the tool (termed item validity index, Polit 2008) and consequently the average was be computed (termed scale content validity index, Polit, 2008). The acceptable scale content validity index is at least 0.9 (Polit and Beck, 2008). The tools scale content validity index is 1. The computation is attached as Appendix B. The tools reliability index is 0.376909. This is the p-value in a t-test computed using Excel. The researcher pilot-tested the tool to 3 Head nurses two times at different periods. The results of the two were compared for significant differences. The p-value indicates that there is no significant difference between the two scores therefore the tool is reliable. The computation is attached as Appendix C.

Data Gathering Procedure The researchers will first seek approval for the conduct of the study in the above-mentioned locales. After approval, the studys objectives and methodology will be thoroughly explained to the respective nurse supervisors of the emergency units of the hospitals. The supervisors then will randomly select at least 3 emergency room nurses from her unit who satisfy the inclusion criteria. The head nurses consequently will evaluate the selected emergency room nurses using the studys tool. They will not time-pressured to enable them to evaluate thoroughly and judiciously. The accomplished tools will not shown to the emergency room nurses to ensure that the evaluation will not be unduly affected by any extraneous variable.