Factors affecting the development of clinical nurses' competency: A systematic review

To synthesize and analyze the literature on nursing clinical competence to assess the factors affecting nursing clinical competency.

Nursing competence affects not only patients but also nurses themselves. Competent nurses contribute to patient safety. Prioritizing clinical competency enables nurses to deliver high-quality care. Clinical nursing competency is influenced by various factors including education and training, experience, professional development, clinical judgment, decision-making skills and communication.

This was a systematic review.

This study utilized an extensive literature search of online databases, including SCOPUS, Web of Science and PubMed. This review followed the guidelines provided by the Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) Cochrane Group and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

This systematic review provided 20 valuable articles, with a total of 6273 participants across the 20 studies, including 18 cross-sectional studies and two descriptive-correlational studies, predominantly using quantitative research methods. The analysis revealed several key factors that significantly affect nurses' clinical competency. These factors included years of experience, workplace environment, theoretical knowledge and educational level, marital status, clinical training, job satisfaction, turnover intention, job stress and critical thinking.

Understanding and addressing these factors are crucial for enhancing nurses' clinical competence and ultimately improving patient outcomes. Further research and interventions should be directed towards promoting supportive work environments, continuous education and the development of critical thinking skills among nurses to optimize their clinical competencies.