Self assessment of the clinical competence of nurses in a major educational hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Introduction: Competence is defined in terms of functional adequacy and capacity to integrate knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in contextual situations of practice. Of course, the competence of nurses may vary in different clinical settings. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the level of nurses’ clinical competence in a major teaching hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (2009).        Material and Methods:                                                                                                                              This cross- sectional study was conducted by census. We analyzed self-assessment of clinical competence of a total of 240 registered nurses working in different wards in a major hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The instrument used was Nurse Competence Scale, a 73 – item questionnaire organized into seven competence categories. The level of competence was assessed on a scoring scale (0-100) and the frequency of using items of competencies in clinical practice was assessed on a four-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 11.5, using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The comparison of clinical settings revealed differences in the levels of nurse clinical competence. Coronary care unit nurses considered their competence level higher than other nurses (88.36±10.59). According to the findings, 84% of the competence items were used frequently by nurses working in this university hospital.  Conclusion: Nurses' competence in both the level and frequency of using competencies is excellent in the clinical settings of this hospital. These results can be used to encourage nurses, assess the educational needs, and improve the quality of care in university hospitals.