[Evaluating the Health and Social Care Competences of Nursing Students Using Skills Competition]

After graduation, new nurses provide care directly to clients in the health and social care sectors. Nurses with higher levels of health and social care competences have been shown to provide better quality of care. The skills competitions organized and held by the Ministry of Labor follow international standards and address the general roles and functions of care providers worldwide. Using the results of these skills competitions to confirm the health and social care competences of nursing students important for nursing education.

This study was designed to assess the performance of nursing students in the skills competition and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these students with regard to related competences in the context of current global standards.

This was a retrospective research study. Data were collected from the results of skills competitions using the Scenario-based Objective Structured Clinical Examination method. Descriptive statistics were used to analysis the data.

The mean score for health and social care competence was 67.9 ± 12.9. The score for the home care dimension (65.1 ± 14.1) was the lowest dimension score. The most two improved of the six competence dimensions were problem solving/innovation and creativity (53.7 ± 3.9) and evaluating response to care (55.9 ± 4.0). The lowest health and social care item scores were practicing the five moments of hand hygiene (42.7%) and encouraging patient to discuss health problems (43.1%).

The results showed that the competence level of the students was moderate. Nursing educators should develop appropriate education approaches for teaching and evaluation and improve the health and social care competences of nursing students.