Management competency among head nurses at general hospitals in Ben Tre province in 2023

Abstract

Objectives: Determine the level of management competency among head nurses and related factors at Ben Tre General Hospitals in 2023. Research participants and methods: A cross-sectional description with analysis on 50 Head Nurses using the Chase Nursing Management Competency questionnaire. Results: Head nurses self-assess their management competency on a 4-point Likert scale in 5 areas: professional, technical (3.4.± 0.4), human resource management (3.1 ± 0.4), thinking (3.1 ± 0.5), leadership (3.1 ± 0.4) and financial management (2.9 ± 0.6). Related factors with statistical significance include professional qualifications, management qualifications, time in charge of management, number of beds in the department, and number of nurses in the department. Conclusion: Professional and technical competencies are self-assessed by the head nurses as having the ability to be applied with the most confidence, and financial management competencies are the competencies that can be applied and implemented with the least confidence. Factors: qualifications and time in charge of management are related factors with statistical significance. Therefore, hospitals need to prioritize training, fostering, and updating professional and management knowledge for head nurses to improve the efficiency of patient care and management.