Assessment of Clinical Nursing Competencies: Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: In Slovene nursing higher education, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support the choice of tolls for assessment of clinical skills and competencies. This literature review aims to critically discuss identified methods of clinical nursing skills assessment and competencies currently used in nursing higher education in other countries. Methods: An electronic data base search was conducted using Medline, CINAHL, and PubMed. The search was limited to empirical research published within the previous 5 years. Full-text available articles published in peer-reviewed journals and written in English were included. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to appraise and describe the methodological quality. The synthesis of the results was reported narratively. Results: From 160 identified records, 12 studies were retained based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A number of approaches are currently being used and include a variety of assessment tools, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and complex assessment approaches. Discussion and conclusion: Results present an overview of current clinical assessment in the clinical environment and in the clinical skills laboratories (CSLs). There is a need to develop a holistic approach to clinical skills competency assessment with a reasonable level of validity and reliability.