The Association of Competence and Critical Thinking in the Nurses in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Today, attention to the clinical competence of nurses is increasingly important as clinical competence seems to be influenced by several factors, such as the ability of critical thinking. The present study aimed to evaluate the association of competence and critical thinking in the nurses in Imam Khomeini Hospital, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

This cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 170 nurses employed in Imam Khomeini Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2019. The participants were selected via proportionate stratified sampling. Data were collected using the competency inventory for registered nurses (CIRN) and Ricketts' critical thinking deposition questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent t-test, Pearson's and Spearman's correlation-coefficients, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test.

The mean total score of competence in the nurses was 169.74±16.04 (out of 220), which indicated  high clinical competence based on the scoring instrument. The mean total score of the critical thinking of the nurses was 124.75±12.27 (out of 165), which indicated the high critical thinking ability of the participants. A significant, positive correlation was observed between the total mean score of competence and critical thinking (r=0.64; P<0.0001). However, no significant associations were observed between the demographic variables with nursing competence, while the critical thinking ability of the nurses in critical care wards was significantly higher compared to those employed in general wards (P=0.008).

According to the results, nurses with better critical thinking abilities have higher clinical competence and could provide independent, effective nursing care. Therefore, the improvement of critical thinking in nurses could promote their clinical competence.