Assessing nursing student's clinical competency:self-assessment

Clinical competence of nursing students has been mentioned as the main goal and effectiveness criteria of nursing education which includes the ability of applying knowledge and information, communication and interpersonal skills, problem solving and technical skills.

The aim of this study is assessment level of clinical competence in nursing students.

This is an analytic-descriptive; cross –sectional study. All 90 eligible nursing students who were in their 5 to 8 semester in Sabzevar University of medical sciences during 2011 were studied. Data collection tool was clinical competence questioner. Its questions were designed by researcher to evaluate students in three domains of cognitive, Affective and Psycho-motor abilities. Validity of the questionnaire was measured by content validity and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach‘s alpha) was (α= 0.94). Samples were asked to describe their clinical competence by self-assessment form. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16.

The mean scores of the affective and psychomotor domains was (3.32) and students assessed their clinical competence in these two domains with 1% error higher than average 3 (P<0.001). The mean difference in cognitive domain (3.05) doesn’t significantly differ from the society mean which means respondents have assessed their cognitive clinical competence in average level. Students have assessed their overall clinical competence a greater than average (of 3)(P<0.001).

In conclusion students have assessed their own clinical competencies a little higher than average. Clinical competence is main goal of nursing education and achieving the maximum desired result depends on the effectiveness of education methods and best utilization of facilities and resources. The next step should be seeking possible methods to achieve the highest level of clinical competence in nursing students during and after their education.