Clinical gerontological nursing competence among licensed practical nurses in healthcare services-A descriptive...

This study aimed to describe self-assessed clinical gerontological nursing competence and its associated factors among licensed practical nurses.

A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted for the study.

Data were collected in Autumn 2023 from 394 licensed practical nurses working in healthcare services for older people in one well-being services county in Finland. The nurses, recruited through convenience sampling, were surveyed using a 40-item self-assessment clinical gerontological nursing competence instrument (on a Likert scale from 1 = poor to 5 = excellent). Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyse the results.

Participants mainly assessed their clinical gerontological competence as good. Competence in using assistive devices to support functional ability was assessed as very good, while competence in postoperative wound care was assessed as the weakest. Participants working in 24-h services assessed their competence as the weakest among the three clinical gerontological nursing areas. Participants under 40 years of age with 5-10 years of work experience self-assessed statistically significantly stronger competence in disease-specific nursing than those over 40 with less work experience.

The self-assessed competence of licensed practical nurses varies across different service and care units. Competence in wound care requires more focus and education in the future. Attention should also be paid to competence development in different educational areas, for example, through continuous education and competence development models. The results could facilitate licensed practical nurses' competence development and management in clinical gerontological nursing. The study's insights can also guide allocating resources and education to ensure high-quality care in different service areas.