Nurse Competence Scale Research Articles

Effects of cooperative learning and situational simulation on nursing competence in clinical practice among nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

BackgroundAppropriate cooperative learning and situational simulation designs can enhance mental health and nursing competence in clinical practice. This approach is crucial for cultivating the clinical nursing competence of nursing students. AimTo determine the effect of combining cooperative learning and situational simulation on nursing competence in clinical practice. DesignA quasi-experimental study. Setting and participantsThis study was conducted with 142 second-year students in the nursing department of a university in Taiwan. MethodsThe experimental group received cooperative learning combined with situational simulation methods, while the control group used only cooperative learning methods. Data were collected using the Clinical Practice Stress Scale and the Fundamental Nursing Competence Scale. Percentiles and frequency distributions were used to analyze the data, and independent t-tests were conducted to compare differences between the groups. ResultsThere were no significant differences in descriptive characteristics between the groups (p > .05). Post-test measurements of nursing technical performance, total score on the fundamental nursing competence scale and six sub-dimensional scores of the students in the experimental group were significantly improved compared to the control group (p < .001). However, there were no significant differences in total clinical practice stress scale scores between the groups (p > .05). Interestingly, the knowledge score of the control group was significantly higher than that of the experimental group (p < .05). ConclusionThe combined methods of cooperative learning and situational simulation have been shown to positively impact students' academic and nursing technical performance. The results indicate improvements in nursing competence in clinical practice, with signs of a reduction in clinical practice-related stress. Nurse educators can apply these strategies in clinical nursing education to achieve better outcomes.

Psychometrics assessment of clinical reasoning competency scale in nurses of critical care units

BackgroundNurses play a crucial role in identifying patients’ needs and assessing their clinical conditions to provide adequate and timely interventions. However, evaluating the clinical reasoning competence of nurses requires valid, specific, and comprehensive tools. The present study aimed to translate and psychometrically assess the Persian version of the Clinical Reasoning Competence Scale (CRCS) for nurses in special care units in Iran.MethodsThis cross-sectional, multi-axis methodological study involved 630 nurses from critical care departments in 11 Iranian hospitals. The original version of the Clinical Reasoning Competency Scale for Nurses (CRCSN) was translated into Persian using the forward and backward translation method. The psychometric properties of this scale were assessed using COSMIN criteria.ResultsEach item’s content validity ratio (CVR) ranges from 0.69 to 1, the Item content validity index (I-CVI) ranges from 0.82 to 1, while the S-w was 0.95. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the items load on three distinct dimensions—“plan setting,” “intervention strategy regulation,” and “self-instruction”—with loadings ranging from 0.621 to 0.912. These dimensions collectively explain 74.32% of the variance. Confirmatory validity was affirmed without necessitating the removal or reordering of items during the exploratory phase. The scale’s reliability was established with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.91 and a test-retest reliability coefficient of 0.92. Factor analysis was also conducted.ConclusionThe Persian version of CRCSN has been found to be valid and reliable in critical care units. Therefore, nursing managers can confidently use this tool to evaluate the clinical reasoning competence of nurses. They can also implement appropriate strategies, such as educational interventions, to improve their clinical reasoning skills.

Relationship of sustainable development goals, holistic nursing competence, and social justice advocacy role in public health nurses.

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between public health nurses' holistic nursing and social justice advocacy competencies in terms of their attitudes toward sustainable development goals. Cross-sectional survey. The study sample consisted of 384 public health nurses. Data were collected with the personal information form, the Attitudes toward Sustainable Development Scale, the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale, and the Social Justice Advocacy Scale. The sub-dimensions of environment, public, education, and economy were found to significantly affect social justice advocacy, and the indirect effects of 0.191, 0.222, 0.205, and 0.201 were found to be statistically significant with the inclusion of holistic nursing competence in the model, respectively. It was found to explain 32%, 30%, 29%, and 22% of the total effect, respectively. It supports the claim that developing public health nurses' holistic nursing competence and social justice advocacy skills is an important criterion for achieving sustainable development goals.

Mediating Role of Evidence-Based Nursing Competence Between Specialist Nurses' Information Literacy and Innovative Behaviour: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study.

To investigate the levels of information literacy, evidence-based nursing competence and innovative behaviour in specialist nurses, determine the impact of information literacy and evidence-based nursing competence on the innovative behaviour of specialist nurses and to analyse the mediating role of evidence-based nursing competence between information literacy and innovative behaviour among specialist nurses. A multicenter cross-sectional design. In March 2024, a survey was conducted on 313 specialist nurses in four tertiary Grade A comprehensive hospitals in China. Data collection involved the utilization of general demographic questionnaire, the Information Literacy Questionnaire, the Evidence-Based Nursing Competence Scale and the Nurse Innovation Behaviour Scale. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS26 and Amos28 software. Specialist nurses scored above average in information literacy, evidence-based nursing competence and innovative behaviour. Information literacy significantly positively correlated with innovative behaviour. Evidence-based nursing competence also positively affected innovative behaviour and partially mediated the relationship between information literacy and innovative behaviour. This research indicated that specialist nurses exhibited above-average levels of evidence-based nursing competence, information literacy and innovative behaviour. Both information literacy and evidence-based nursing competence positively impacted innovative behaviour, with evidence-based nursing competence playing a significant mediating role between information literacy and innovative behaviour. The findings suggest that nursing managers should focus on enhancing information literacy and evidence-based nursing competence in specialist nurses. Improving these abilities will support the implementation of innovative practices and advance the nursing field. The research findings were presented in strict accordance with the STROBE statement. Not applicable. It provides reference guidance and theoretical basis for global nursing managers to formulate targeted interventions, so as to effectively enhance the innovative behaviour of specialist nurses.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the End-of-Life Nursing Competency Scale for Clinical Nurses.

This study aimed to develop and establish psychometric properties of the End-of-Life Nursing Competency Scale for Clinical Nurses. The initial items were derived from an in-depth literature review and field interviews. The content validation of these items was assessed over three rounds by experts in end-of-life nursing care. The study included 437 clinical nurses from four hospitals in S, E, and D cities in South Korea. The final exploratory factor analysis resulted in a scale consisting of 21 items with the following five factors that explained 68.44% of the total variance: Physical care-imminent end-of-life, legal and administrative processes, psychological care-patient and family, psychological care-nurses' self, and ethical nursing. The final model with these five subscales was validated through confirmatory factor analysis. Both item convergent-discriminant validity and known-group validity, which compared two groups based on clinical experience (p < 0.008) and working department (p < 0.008), were satisfactory. The internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach's α, ranged from 0.62 to 0.89 for the subscales and was 0.91 for the total scale. This scale has been validated as a reliable and effective instrument for clinical nurses to self-assess their end-of-life nursing competencies in a clinical setting.

Knowledge status of skin tear prevention and its demographic and occupational influencing factors: A National cross-sectional survey among nurses.

A skin tear (ST) is a common skin injury that is often misdiagnosed or overlooked. This study examined the current state of nurses' ST knowledge and its influencing factors. A national cross-sectional survey combined with a quantitative analysis was used to provide evidence of poor ST knowledge among nurses and its influencing factors. An electronic questionnaire survey was conducted among 1293 nurses from 32 hospitals in 18 provinces across China, including a General Information Questionnaire, ST Knowledge Assessment Instrument (OASES) and a Self-directed Learning Competence Scale for Nurses (SLCS-N). The mean OASES score was 9.51 ± 3.15, with a score rate of 47.55%. Pearson's correlation analysis showed positive correlations, ranging from none to strong, between every dimension in the OASES and from strong to extremely strong between every dimension in the SLCS-N. Multivariate analysis revealed multiple independent factors influencing ST knowledge, such as hospital tier, specialized nurses in wound/ostomy/incontinence care, participation in training for wound/ostomy/incontinence management, willingness to undergo ST training, self-assessed grade in ST care and the degree of emphasis of managers. ST knowledge status was generally poor among nurses nationwide. Managers should establish a comprehensive and specialized curriculum-based system, develop evidence-based standardized nursing processes, and provide tailored training programs to address nurses' unique characteristics and individualized needs, thereby enhancing their proficiency in ST-related knowledge and skills. This study is the first to identify a poor level of ST knowledge among nurses nationwide, particularly in the four dimensions of risk assessment: prevention, treatment, classification, and observation. Based on the findings regarding demographic factors and ST experiences, an integrated management system and educational program should be implemented to improve nurses' awareness and knowledge in this field. No patient or public contributions.

Relationship between critical thinking ability and medication safety competence among clinical nurses: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

This study investigated the relationship between clinical nurses' critical thinking ability and medication safety competence, as well as the factors related to medication safety competence. Nurses can have an active role in promoting medication safety. However, the main factors associating with nurses' competence in medication safety are uncertain. This was a descriptive, multicenter cross-sectional survey study. A total of 1196 nurses from four different tertiary hospital in China were included in this study. A demographic information questionnaire, the Critical Thinking Diagnostic for nurses, and the Medication Safety Competence Scale for nurses were used to survey. Descriptive statistics, comparisons, correlation and regression analysis of the collected data were performed using SPSS 26.00 software. The study was reported using STROBE checklist. Included nurses obtained satisfactory scores on the critical thinking and medication safety scales and subscales. There was a strong statistically significant positive correlation between critical thinking ability and medication safety competence. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that personal critical thinking scores and working years were positively associated with nurses' medication safety scores, accounting for 62.50% of the variance. Clinical nurses' critical thinking ability is positively associated with medication safety competence. As critical thinking ability positively predicts nurses' medication safety competence, hospitals and nursing administrators should consider continuing nursing education and training to improve critical thinking skills, thereby promoting medication safety competence among clinical nurses.

The mediating role of pediatric nursing competence in the relationship between pediatric drug administration self-efficacy and medical error tendency in nursing students

AimThis study was conducted to determine the mediating role of pediatric nursing competence in the relationship between self-efficacy in pediatric drug administration and medical error tendency in nursing students. BackgroundThe self-efficacy of nursing students towards drug administration knowledge and practices is one of the determinants of achieving the goals of nursing education programs related to drug administration. DesignThe sample of the descriptive and correlational study consisted of a total of 303 3rd and 4th-year students taking the Pediatric Health and Diseases Nursing course at the Department of Nursing. Data were collected using the Pediatric Nursing Competency Scale (PNCS), the Medication Administration Self-Efficacy Scale in Children for Nursing Students (MASSC) and the Medical Errors Tendency Scale (METS). Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, independent groups t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc (Tukey, LSD) test were used to analyze the data. In addition, hierarchical regression analyses regarding the mediation effect were performed using PROCESS Model 4 developed by Hayes (2013) for SPSS. ResultsWhen the correlation levels between the total scores of MASSC, PNSC and METS were analyzed, a positive moderate correlation was found between PNSC and MASSC total scores, a positive weak correlation was found between METS and MASSC total scores and a positive weak correlation was found between METS and PNSC total scores (p<0.05). As a result of the analysis, the model was found to be significant and the total change in METS was explained by 17.3 % of the total change in METS (F=63.289;p=0.000). It was found that PNSC was a partial mediator variable between MASSC and METS. ConclusionAs a result of the study, it was determined that pediatric nursing competence had a partial mediating role in the relationship between pediatric drug administration self-efficacy and medical error tendency in nursing students.

An Observational Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Correlation between Clinical Competencies and Clinical Reasoning among Italian Registered Nurses.

Ability, knowledge, aptitude, and skill are the terms identified in the literature as the attributes of the concept of clinical competence. This implies that in order to act competently in their own context, the nurse must be able to make decisions which mainly depend on the ability to put clinical reasoning into practice. However, the evaluation of clinical reasoning in the various clinical-care activities of nursing competence is a necessary operation to prevent routine attitudes. From the perspective of an assessment of nursing competences, the aim of this study is to validate the relationship between the degree of competence recognized in a specific clinical setting and the amount of clinical reasoning executed by nurses. The study design was a cross-sectional observational design, following the guidelines of the Strengthening Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) of observational studies. Both the Italian Nurse Competence Scale and the Nurse Clinical Reasoning Scale were used. The data was collected between 25 January and 5 March 2022. Four hundred twenty-four clinical nurses participated by completing and returning the questionnaires. The instruments underwent assessment to ensure internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Their validity was tested with the validity of known content, construct, and groups. This is supported by statistically significant correlations between the different variables examined and the scores of the different dimensions of the Italian Nurse Competence Scale and the Italian Nurse Clinical Reasoning Scale. The data collected showed an excellent average level of competencies and clinical reasoning, M = range of 72.24 and 63.93, respectively. In addition, we observed satisfactory scores across all dimensions of I-NCS (significance range: 0.000-0.014) and I-NCRS (significance range: 0.000-0.004). The understanding and development of clinical reasoning has also brought out new aspects that require further research. This study provides a fresh perspective on the correlation between clinical competences and clinical reasoning, representing a novel attempt to analyze their relationship.

Perceived competences by graduated nurses before and during COVID-19 restrictions: A repeated cross-sectional study from 2019 to 2022

AimsTo explore the differences, if any, in the competences perceived by newly graduated nurses who attended their education before and during the COrona VIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) restrictions. BackgroundNursing education has undergone significant changes because of the COVID-19 restrictions. However, to date the perceived competences at the point of graduation have not been investigated over the restrictions years compared with the pre-restrictions era. DesignA repeated cross-sectional study followed by a pseudo-panel analysis. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist was used. Data on individual, nursing programme and perceived competences with Nurse Competence Scale (NCS) were collected and analysed by also using a pseudo-panel approach. MethodsTwo universities were involved. Those eligible were nursing students who graduated: (1) in 2020 (=323) as the first post-COVID-19 group, who were studying in the 3rd year at the onset of the restrictions; (2) in 2021 (=250) as the second post-COVID-19 graduated group, who were in the 2nd year at the restrictions onset; and (3) in 2022 (=247) as the third post-COVID-19 group, attending the 1st year of nursing education at the onset of the restrictions. Data were compared with those who graduated in 2019 (=336, pre-COVID-19 group). ResultsThe overall NCS score was higher in the pre-COVID-19 group (68 out of 100, 95 % Confidence of Interval [IC] 66.4–69.5), lower in the first post-COVID-19 graduates (62.9, 95 % CI 60–65.8), higher in the second (66.6, 95 % CI 63.6–69.4) and lower again in the third post-COVID-19 group (63.8, 95 % CI 60.9–66.5). A sinusoidal pattern also emerged for the frequency of use of the competences from the pre-COVID-19 (2.3 out of 3) and the first group (2.1) and increased between the second and the third group (from 2.1 to 2.3) (p< 0.001). These sinusoidal trends are also evident in the pseudo-panel analysis. ConclusionsA different degree of perceived competences at the point of graduation emerged, with higher competences in the pre-restrictions group, lower in the first post-COVID-19 generation, higher again in the second and third group. However, all scores were over 60 points out of 100, thus indicating sufficient competences. The frequency of use of such competences slightly changed over the years with limited practical relevance. The findings may inform reflections regarding innovations in the clinical placements pathways as well as in the strategies supporting newly graduates nurses in their transition from education to health-care settings.

Development of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cultural competence scale for nurses in South Korea: a methodological study.

This study was conducted to develop a cultural competence scale for nurses regarding the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and to test its validity and reliability. The study adhered to the 8-step process outlined by DeVellis, with an initial set of 25 items derived through a literature review and individual interviews. Following an expert validity assessment, 24 items were validated. Subsequently, a preliminary survey was conducted among 23 nurses with experience caring for LGBT patients. Data were then collected from a final sample of 322 nurses using the 24 items. Item analysis, item-total score correlation, examination of construct and convergent validity, and reliability testing were performed. The item-level content validity index exceeded .80, and the explanatory power of the construct validity was 63.63%. The factor loadings varied between 0.57 and 0.80. The scale comprised five factors: cultural skills, with seven items; cultural awareness, with five items; cultural encounters, with three items; cultural pursuit, with three items; and cultural knowledge, with three items; totaling 21 items. Convergent validity demonstrated a high correlation, affirming the scale's validity. Internal consistency analysis yielded an overall reliability coefficient of 0.97, signifying very high reliability. Each item is scored from 1 to 6 (total score range, 21-126), with higher scores reflecting greater cultural competence in LGBT care. This scale facilitates the measurement of LGBT cultural competence among nurses. Therefore, its use should provide foundational data to support LGBT-focused nursing education programs.

The relationship between the COVID-19 burnout levels of nurses and their holistic nursing competence: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the relationship between the COVID-19 burnout levels of nurses and their holistic nursing competence. The data were collected from 468 nurses working in a hospital between 1 August 2021-9 September 2021 by using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the COVID-19 Burnout Scale(BCV-19S), the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale(HNCS). The mean scores on the total BCV-19S and HNCS were 36.36(9.51) and 194.27(35.71),respectively. It was found that the mean score on the total BCV-19S was significantly higher in nurses worked ≥ 51 hours a week on average, worked in the COVID-19 pandemic unit (p < 0.05). The mean score of nurses who worked ≤ 40 hours a week on average on the total HNCS was significantly higher (p < 0.05). In this study, it was determined that nurses’ COVID-19 burnout levels and holistic nursing competence were high. Nurses’ COVID-19 burnout levels positively affected their holistic nursing competence.

Development of Integrated Supportive Care Nursing Competence Scale for Cancer Survivors.

Nurses play a key role in providing integrated supportive care to cancer patients for their various needs. Efforts should be made to identify the competencies required for nurses providing integrated supportive care to cancer survivors, evaluate the competence level with reliable and reasonable tools, and continuously improve them. In Phase 1, the items of the scale were developed through a literature review and by conducting a focus group interview. In Phase 2, the validity and reliability of the scale were analyzed. A total of 504 nurses participated. Data were analyzed using item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson's correlation with other scales, internal consistency, and split-half reliability. The developed scale consisted of 22 items. These items were grouped into five subscales and labeled as professionalism enhancement, care coordination, comprehensive nursing needs assessment, providing tailored information and education, and recurrence surveillance and secondary cancer prevention. Confirmatory factor analysis supported good convergent and discriminant validities. The criterion validity was verified. The internal consistency of the scale measured by Cronbach's α was 0.91. The developed scale is expected to be used as an instrument to identify cancer survivor integrated supportive care competencies of nurses in practice.

Comparison of self-competency and executive (charge) nurse competency assessments of clinical nurses.

This study compared nurses' self-competency assessments and their managers' nurse competence assessments. Nurse competence is important for nursing care quality and patient safety. Executive (charge) nurses play a main role in the nurse competency assessment. In this study conducted at a university hospital between January and December 2020, the self-efficacy evaluations of nurses (n=162) working in services other than the emergency department, operating room, and outpatient clinics of the university hospital were compared with the evaluations of nurse executives (charges) on these nurses (n=21). Data were collected using the personal information form and the Nurse Competence Scale. A cross-sectional study design was used. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guideline was used for reporting. Service nurses' self-assessments and nurses treating charge's assessment of clinical nurses evaluated the competence levels as excellent in both groups. The self-competency assessments of the nurses were higher than the charge nurses' competency assessments. In this study, the lower competence assessment of nurses by the charge nurses was may be due to their ability to observe nurses in their teams in general and that they have more experience in evaluation. It is suggested that professional development and competence programs be created to further develop the competencies of nurses. Nurse competency assessments support planning to ensure patient safety. Patient care burden and planning of risky patients according to the nurse competency level will provide safe patient care.

The biosafety incident response competence scale for clinical nursing staff: a development and validation study

AimsThis study was designed to develop a biosafety incident response competence scale and evaluate its validity and reliability among clinical nurses.DesignThis study employed a sequential approach, comprising four phases: (1) the establishment of a multidimensional conceptual model, (2) the preliminary selection of the items, (3) further exploration and psychometric testing of the items, (4) the application of the scale among clinical nurses.MethodsThe biosafety incident response competence conceptual model was developed through literature review and the Delphi method. A total of 1,712 clinical nurses participated in the preliminary items selection, while 1,027 clinical nurses were involved in the further psychometric testing from July 2023 to August 2023. The item analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to evaluate the construct validity. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability, while validity analysis included content validity, structural validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. From September to November 2023, we conducted a survey using the established scale with a total of 4338 valid questionnaires collected. T-test and variance analysis was employed to determine potential variations in biosafety incident response competence based on participants characteristics.ResultsThe final scale is composed of 4 factors and 29 items, including monitoring and warning abilities, nursing disposal abilities, biosafety knowledge preparedness, and infection protection abilities. The explanatory variance of the 4 factors was 75.100%. The Cronbach’s alpha, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.974, 0.945 and 0.840 respectively. The Scale-level content validity index was 0.866. The Average Variance Extracted of the 4 factors was larger than 0.5, the Construct Reliability was larger than 0.7, and the Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio were less than 0.9. There were significant differences in the scores of response competence among nurses of different ages, working years, titles, positions, departments, marital status and participation in biosafety training (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe biosafety incident response competence scale for nurses exhibits satisfactory reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for assessing clinical nurses’ abilities in responding to biosafety incidents.

The holistic nursing competence and transition shock of newly graduated nurses as the determinants of missed nursing care: The mediation analysis.

To investigate the determinants of missed nursing care and to analyse the mediating effect of holistic nursing competence on the relationship between transition shock and missed nursing care. Transition shock of newly graduated nurses is associated with missed nursing care. Previous studies have shown the determinants of missed nursing care among nurses, but little is known about the relationship between missed nursing care, transition shock and holistic nursing competence. Descriptive and correlational design. The study was conducted among newly graduated nurses (n = 201) working in acute care hospitals for 1-12 months. The MISSCARE survey, Holistic Nursing Competence Scale and Nursing Transition Shock Scale were used for data collection, in addition to a sociodemographic question form. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation, multiple regression and mediation analyses. The study was reported following the STROBE checklist. The determinants of missed nursing care among newly graduated nurses were sex, unit type, rotating shift work, holding a certificate, holistic nursing competence and transition shock. All these variables explain 35% of the variance in missed nursing care. Holistic nursing competence directly mediated 51.7% of the relationship between transition shock and missed nursing care. Holistic nursing competence may decrease missed nursing care by reducing the effects of transition shock on newly graduated nurses. The study highlighted that newly graduated nurses are an important population regarding missed nursing care. The determinants of missed care should be considered in the nursing care delivery to prevent missed care by newly graduated nurses. Based on the study findings, some recommendations were made for nurse managers and faculty for the orientation program and undergraduate nursing education.

Psychometric testing of anesthesia nursing competence scale (AnestComp)

Background & AimThe competence of anesthesia nurse has a significant association with patient health and safety, reduction of medical errors, hospital infections, and postoperative complications. However, there is no instrument available to measure the competence of anesthesia nurse Iran. Anesthesia Nursing Competence Scale (AnestComp) is a self-assessment tool that measures the competence level of anesthesia Personnel. The present study sought to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of AnestComp in the Iranian anesthesiology community. Materials & MethodsThis cross-sectional study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of AnestComp in a sample of 362 anesthesia nurse from hospitals affiliated with the University of Medical Sciences. After translating the original version of the scale, the face, content, and structural validity as well as the reliability of the scale were evaluated. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-16 and AMOS-24 software. ResultsThe assessment of the face validity of AnestComp showed that the impact score for each item was greater than 3.13. Moreover, the average content validity ratio (CVR) for 38 items was 0.91 and the corresponding value for each item was greater than 0.54. The average content validity index (CVI) for 38 items was 0.93 and the related value for each item was greater than 0.73. In addition, item 39 was removed due to low CVR and CVI values. The construct validity of the scale was checked using confirmatory factor analysis and the factor loading values for the items varied from 0.82 to 0.91, confirming that the seven factors of the scale were within acceptable ranges. Moreover, the reliability of the scale was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha of 0.981 and the correlation of 0.94 between the scores from the re-administration of the scale, indicating that the scale has acceptable internal consistency. ConclusionThe Persian version of AnestComp has acceptable psychometric properties and it can be used as a valid tool to measure the competencies of anesthesia Personnel.

Effectiveness of competency-based training on Nurses’ performance regarding oxygen administration safety for children with respiratory disorders

BackgroundSupplemental oxygen therapy is one of the main therapies used to manage respiratory distress; it must be given in a way that is both safe and efficient. To provide standardized care, competency-based training should be designed to prioritize the practical skills and talents of the nurses over the provision of theoretical knowledge. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of competency-based training on nurses’ performance regarding oxygen administration safety for infants with respiratory disorders. The settingThe study was conducted at the pediatric critical care units at Mansoura University Hospital. Design: The quasi-experimental study was used. The sample: A convenient sampling technique was used for recruiting pediatric critical care nurses and the infants who were admitted in the previous setting. Data collection: three tools were utilized in this study: the first was a structured interview questionnaire encompassing the socio-demographic characteristics of the studied nurses and infants. The second tool is nurses’ knowledge and an observation checklist to assess nurse practices regarding oxygen administration safety. The third tool, the nurse competence scale (NCS). Resultspediatric critical care nurses’ standardization (knowledge, practice, and knowledge application) through pre- and post-intervention. It showed a marked improvement in mean score and standard deviation in the post compared to pre, and the total mean was in the post (15.9 ± 3.8) compared to pre (33.5 ± 7.2) with a p-value < 0.001. ConclusionAfter the implementation of the competency based training program regarding oxygen administration safety.Recommendations.To increase standardization in nursing care practices and produce the best patient outcomes, competency-based training should be applied to all aspects of health care delivery.

The Effect of Nurses' Holistic Competence in Chronic Disease Management on Their Attitudes Toward Caregiver Roles.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of nurses' holistic nursing competence in chronic disease management on their attitudes toward caregiving roles. The sample of the study, which was carried out in descriptive design, consists of 114 nurses (52.6% female and 47.4% male). The research data were gathered with sociodemographic characteristics form, the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale (HNCS), and the Attitude Scale for Nurses in Caregiving Roles (ASNCR). The influence of HNCS, gender, years of job, working style, professional status, weekly working time, and difficulty caring for chronic patients on ASNCR explained 38.1% of the variance. The impact of the ASNCR, gender, years of work in the job, working type, weekly working hours, and having difficulties caring for chronic patients on HNCS explained 54.5% of the variance. Our findings demonstrated the impact of holistic competence on nurses' positive attitudes toward the role of caregiver.

Emergency Department Nurses’ Clinical Competence and Its Related Factors: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: This study aimed to assess perceived clinical competence levels of emergency department nurses in Iran and to identify association with the demographic variables. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all 131 employed nurses from emergency departments of four educational hospitals were included in the study using a census method. Data collection tools included a demographic information form and the “Nurse Competence Scale”. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: The mean age of the nurses was 32.41± 6.35 years. 14 nurses were male and 117 nurses were female, the average work experience of the nurses was 8.48±5.98 years. The mean score of nurses' clinical competence score of the nurses was 68.68 ± 3.24 out of 100, which was a “good level”. Among the subscales of clinical competence, the highest mean score was related to “managing situation” and lowest to “ensuring quality”. There was no statistically significant difference of clinical competence by gender, age, and academic degree. However, the level of clinical competence differed significantly depending on work experience. Conclusions: The emergency department nurses at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, reported a good level of clinical competence across all categories. Hospital managers’ awareness of the level clinical competence of emergency department nurses helps them design educational programs and effective training session to improve the quality of nursing services. Moreover, it is necessary to upgrade nursing education programs at all levels of nursing education in to improve graduating nurses’ clinical competences.