Nurse educator competence in four European countries-A comparative cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Competencies
• European Higher Education

Background:

• Nurse educator competence is crucial for quality nursing education.
• Variations in competence evaluation may exist across different European countries.
• Understanding these variations is essential for standardizing nursing education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare nurse educator competences in Finland, Malta, Slovakia, and Spain.
• To analyze evaluations from nurse educators, heads of nursing subjects, and student nurses.
• To identify factors associated with self-perceived nurse educator competence.

Main Methods:

• A comparative cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 2021 and February 2022.
• Data were collected via an online survey using the 20-item Tool for Evaluation of Requirements of Nurse Teachers (5-point Likert scale).
• Statistical analysis followed STROBE guidelines.

Main Results:

• Nurse educators' competence was positively evaluated (mean >3.5) by all evaluator groups.
• Nurse educators reported higher self-competence than perceived by other evaluators.
• Higher self-evaluated competence was associated with nursing degrees, pedagogical studies, and longer experience.

Conclusions:

• Nurse educator competence is generally at a good level in the studied European countries.
• Differences in evaluation perspectives warrant further investigation.
• Standardization of competence assessment may be beneficial.