Graduating nursing students' self‐assessment of clinical competence and need for further training : A Nordic cross‐ sectional study

Abstract

Aim The study aimed to describe and analyse Nordic nursing students' self-assessed clinical competence and their perceived need for further training at the end of their bachelor's studies. Design A cross-sectional survey. Data Sources From five Nordic countries, and 13 different universities, 291 survey answers were included. The Professional Nurse Self-Assessment Scale of clinical core competencies (PROFFNurse SAS II) was used for data collection. Results Graduating nursing students rated their clinical competence highest in acting ethically, taking responsibility for their decisions, and seeking help, and lowest in assessing patients' health via phone, email, or other health technology solutions, and in professional development. The highest need for further training was reported in medication interactions and side effects and differential diagnosis in health assessment. More than half of the respondents want to work in specialised healthcare after graduation, while less than a quarter want to work in primary care. One in five respondents expressed an intention to leave their career and low scores on self-assessed clinical competence were associated with increased intentions to leave. Conclusion The findings highlight the need for educational institutions to evaluate curricula to enhance graduating nurses' clinical competence in the areas needed, especially within eHealth. Implications for the Profession An effective competence development program is necessary to strengthen the competence and career path of newly graduated nurses. Impact Educational institutions play a crucial role in developing competency-based programs that meet quality standards and address current and future health needs, as well as global challenges. By assessing the clinical competence of graduating nursing students regularly nursing education can be developed based on the findings, which promotes high-quality patient care. Reporting Method STROBE guidelines were applied. Patient or Public Contribution Graduating nursing students from the Nordic countries participated in the study and contributed to this research by answering the survey.