Students' core competence performance during fundamental nursing practicum: A cross-sectional survey with...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Competency Assessment
• Clinical Practicum Evaluation

Background:

• Limited research compares nursing student core competence performance across diverse practicum settings.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted educational interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the perception-performance gaps in core competencies among nursing students at different levels of care practicum sites.
• To identify specific competencies needing improvement at various practicum sites during fundamental nursing education.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 659 nursing students from six Taiwanese colleges.
• Utilized the Core Competence in Fundamental Nursing Practicum Scale (importance-performance analysis).
• Employed one-way ANOVA and Scheffe post hoc tests to analyze data.

Main Results:

• Students in medical centers exhibited larger competence gaps (total scores, nursing process application) compared to district hospital sites.
• Medical center students also showed greater gaps in professional attitude than those in long-term care facilities.
• Communication skills were identified as a universal area for improvement; long-term care facilities had the most underdeveloped competencies.

Conclusions:

• Practicum site level significantly impacts nursing student competence perception-performance gaps.
• Targeted curriculum adjustments are needed, focusing on communication skills and site-specific weaknesses.
• Findings can inform educators in developing focused training for fundamental nursing practicum.