Competencies expected of undergraduate nursing students: A scoping review

Abstract

AimNursing competencies are crucial indicators for providing quality and safe care. The lack of international agreement in this field has caused problems in the generalization and application of findings. The purpose of this review is to identify the core competencies necessary for undergraduate nursing students to enter nursing work.Data SourcesWe conducted a structured search using Scopus, MEDLINE (PubMed), Science Direct, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.Review MethodsWe conducted a scoping review using the methodology recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute, supported by the PAGER framework, and guided by the PRISMA‐ScR Checklist. Inclusion criteria included full‐text articles in English, quantitative and qualitative research related to competencies for undergraduate students or newly graduated nurses, competency assessment, and tool development from 1970 to 2022. We excluded articles related to specific nursing roles, specific contexts, Master's and Ph.D. curricula, hospital work environment competencies, and editorial.ResultsOut of 15,875 articles, we selected 43 studies, and data analysis with summative content analysis identified five themes named individualized care, professional nursing process, nursing administration, readiness, and professional development.ConclusionConsidering the dynamics of competencies and their change with time, experience, and setting, it is necessary to update, localize, and levelling of the proposed competencies based on the culture of each country.ImpactThese competencies provide a guide for undergraduate nursing curriculum development and offer a framework for both clinical instruction and the evaluation of nursing students.

Competency gap among graduating nursing students: what they have achieved and what is expected of them

“…The instrument used in this study is a questionnaire developed and psychometrically tested in a doctoral nursing dissertation [ 45 ]. To design the tool, the competencies expected of undergraduate nursing students in Iran and worldwide were first identified through a scoping review using the methodology recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and supported by the PAGER framework.…”

“…Its reliability was also checked by internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha method and stability using the test-retest method. The competency questionnaire comprises 85 items covering 17 competencies across 5 domains: “individualized care” (4 competencies with 21 items), “evidence-based nursing care” (2 competencies with 10 items), “professional nursing process” (3 competencies with 13 items), “nursing management” (2 competencies with 16 items), and “work readiness and professional development” (6 competencies with 25 items) [ 45 ]. “The Bondy Rating Scale was utilized to assess the competency items, with ratings ranging from 1 (Dependent) to 5 (Independent) on a 5-point Likert scale [ 46 ].…”

Perfil Académico, Percepción De Competencias en Estudiantes De Enfermería Y Desempeño en El Examen De Grado Basado en Simulación De Alta Fidelidad

“…En este contexto, las competencias de enfermería son indicadores cruciales para brindar atención segura y de calidad (7) . Estas competencias, al igual que los planes de estudios, son diversas a nivel mundial (8) y en Chile se ha avanzado desde un examen escrito (9) , para evaluar el examen de final de grado, que mide sólo conocimientos, a la necesidad de otros instrumentos para verificar las competencias al final de la carrera.…”