Aim To analyse graduating nursing students’ self‐assessed competence level in Europe at graduation, at the beginning of nursing career. Design An international cross‐sectional evaluative design. Methods Data were collected in February 2018–July 2019 from graduating nursing students in 10 European countries. Competence was assessed with a validated instrument, the Nurse Competence Scale (NCS). The sample comprised 3,490 students (response rate 45%), and data were analysed statistically. Results In all countries, graduating nursing students assessed their competence as good (range 50.0–69.1; VAS 0–100), albeit with statistically significant differences between countries. The assessments were highest in Iceland and lowest in Lithuania. Older students, those with working experience in health care, satisfied with their current degree programme, with excellent or good study achievements, graduating to 1st study choice and having a nursing career plan for future assessed their competence higher.

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Aim:The aim of this study is to evaluate the medication calculation skills of graduating nursing students in six European countries and analyse the associated factors.Background: Medication calculation skills are fundamental to medication safety, which is a substantial part of patient safety. Previous studies have raised concerns about the medication calculation skills of nurses and nursing students.Design: As part of a broader research project, this study applies a multinational crosssectional survey design with three populations: graduating nursing students, nurse managers and patients. Methods:The students performed two calculations (tablet and fluid) testing medication calculation skills requiring different levels of conceptual understanding and arithmetic. The managers and patients answered one question about the students' medication kills. In total, 1,796 students, 538 managers and 1,327 patients participated the study. The data were analysed statistically. The STROBE guideline for crosssectional studies was applied.Results: Almost all (99%) of the students performed the tablet calculation correctly, and the majority (71%) answered the fluid calculation correctly. Older age, a previous degree in health care and satisfaction with their current degree programme was positively associated with correct fluid calculations. The patients evaluated the students' medication skills higher than the nurse managers did and the evaluations were not systematically aligned with the calculation skills tested. Conclusions:Nursing students have the skills to perform simple medication calculations, but a significant number of students have difficulties with calculations involving multiple operations and a higher level of conceptual understanding. Due to the variation in students' medication calculation skills and the unalignment between the | 549 ELONEN Et aL.

Objectives Information on nurse educator education is scarce. The present study thus aims to provide an overview of the requirements for and standards of nurse educator education in six European countries in order to enable further reflection and promote discourse on the topic. Methods: A descriptive international cross-sectional comparative study was conducted across six European countries. Data were collected via an online questionnaire completed by experts in nurse educator education or in organisations with specialist knowledge about nurse educator preparation (n = 11). The data were analysed, compared, and condensed. Results The participating countries differ in terms of their educational requirements and the working environments they provide for nurse educators. Formal nurse educator education is available in three of the six countries. Furthermore, in the countries with formal education for nurse educators, differences exist in terms of the regulation and implementation of the education. The educational requirements of nurse educators in higher education are mostly not specific to nursing and are instead general requirements for professional (tertiary) or higher education. Conclusions The analysis reveals heterogeneous regulations, standards, and pathways in the education of nurse educators in the six different counties included in the study. Despite some formal and content-related similarities, no uniform picture of the educational requirements, programmes, or standards was identified. The results of this international comparative research confirm the need for further research that examines whether the education of nurse educators meets the global need both for skilled nurses and for more Europe-wide collaboration in nurse educator education.