Nursing faculty perceptions of entry to nursing practice competencies expected at day one of hire: A statewide study

No universal nursing education framework exists aligning competency expectations of new-to-practice nurses graduating from the varying prelicensure academic degree programs.

This study aimed to identify a set of core competencies expected of all prelicensure nursing programs in Maryland, including associate degree (ADN), entry-level bachelor of science nursing degree (BSN), and master of science entry into nursing (MSN Entry) programs.

A mixed-method approach was used to identify necessary competencies, including a survey consisting of 109 outcome statements and a series of focus groups with faculty representatives from the prelicensure degree programs.

Unexpected findings showed few differences between ADN, BSN, and MSN Entry nursing program faculty perceptions regarding their program graduates' ability to meet the expected competencies. Faculty were not surprised that few differences emerged. Barriers like overloaded curricula, the necessity of prioritizing teaching specific components of nursing content for NCLEX, and competing priorities were faculty concerns.

A comprehensive examination of all BSN and MSN entry knowledge not included in the NCLEX-RN is suggested for students, nurse residents, and professional nurses, delineating entry-level and ongoing minimal core competencies expected of a competent professional nurse. Results support the development of a competency-based education framework to clearly communicate learning and performance expectations among the varying degree programs.