Nursing student and faculty competency improvement through a nurse-bridging program in Cambodia

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Global Health
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Limited number of highly educated nurses in Cambodia (52 with bachelor's, 3 with master's, 1 with doctorate in 2015).
• Need for a bridging program to upskill associate's degree nurses to baccalaureate level.
• Importance of a skilled nursing workforce for superior patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a bridging program on nursing student and faculty competency in Cambodia.
• To assess improvements in nursing students' and faculty members' skills through a baccalaureate degree preparation program.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach utilizing surveys and focus-group interviews.
• Participants included 45 Cambodian nursing students and 12 faculty members in Phnom Penh.
• Competency assessments conducted before, during, and after the bridging program.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in students' nursing, critical thinking, and research competencies (p < .001).
• Faculty members demonstrated enhanced teaching and research competencies (p < .001).
• Qualitative data revealed student gains in physical assessment, communication, evidence-based practice, and research; faculty reported new strategies and increased confidence.

Conclusions:

• The bridging program effectively enhanced nursing competencies for both students and faculty.
• Higher nursing education is crucial for developing countries to build a high-quality nursing workforce.
• The study highlights a viable strategy for nursing workforce development in resource-limited settings.