Congruence between nurse managers’ and nurses’ competence assessments: A correlation study

Abstract

Background/objective: Nurse managers have an important impact on nurses' competence. However, research on managers' and nurses' competence assessments using the same criteria is scarce. For quality care it is important that these assessments align. This study compared nurses' and their managers' competence assessments. Methods:A cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative correlation design was applied. Participants were 1656 manager-nurse pairs conducting self-assessments and manager assessments respectively in a university hospital in Finland. The Nurse Competence Scale which measures nurses' generic level professional competence was used to collect the data. Means, range, frequencies, and standard deviations, and Mixed Models with Repeated Measures were used in data analysis.Results: Both managers and nurses assessed the competence level as good, but managers assessed the level significantly higher than nurses themselves. However, the overall competence profiles between the groups aligned. Higher competence level and smaller Visual Analogy Scale (VAS) score differences between the groups were related to individualized patient care, and ethically committed and flexible action in care situations. Lower competence level and bigger VAS score differences between groups concerned consultation, guiding, and evaluation activities within care team, developmental tasks, and use of research knowledge.Conclusions: Although the difference between managers' and nurses' competence assessments was significant in favour of managers, there is a strong congruence between the groups concerning core tasks of nursing. Competences with low scores, differences between groups, management's support, and factors influencing competence need further research for planning interventions to enhance competence development. Use of multiple assessment methods is recommended to add validity and reliability of the measurements.

Nurse Competence Scale: a systematic and psychometric review

“…, Numminen et al . , ), while in two studies, this correlation did not reach a significant level ( P = 0·057‐0·266) (Bahreini et al . , Kajander‐Unkuri et al .…”

“…,c) and positive perceptions of practice environment in one study (Numminen et al . ,c) were all associated with higher competence.…”

“…, Numminen et al . ) and students’ assessments with mentors’ assessments in one study (Kajander‐Unkuri , Kajander‐Unkuri et al . ).…”

“…Managers assessed nurses’ competence somewhat higher than nurses themselves in three studies (Meretoja & Leino‐Kilpi , Meretoja & Koponen , Numminen et al . ), while in two, nurses assessed their competence higher than their managers (Bahreini et al . , Koskinen et al .…”

Selection, Recruitment and Training of Nursing Managers in Hospitals: A Comparative Study

“…Considering that nurse managers play a vital role in the organization and delivery of nursing services in health centers (3), their importance in enhancing the quality of nursing care is undeniable. Today, the role of nursing managers is more critical due to the high emphasis on resource management regarding cost control, the effectiveness of patient care, quality improvement, accountability, and appropriate care of the patient (4).…”