Nurses' Self-Reported Professional Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study at a Regional Teaching Hospital in Sweden

To investigate and compare the self-assessed professional competence of registered nurses, specialist nurses and midwives at a regional teaching hospital in Sweden. Moreover, to explore associations between potential predictive background factors and self-assessed professional competence.

A cross-sectional study.

Convenience sample of 615 nurses answered a questionnaire; sociodemographic data, 35-item Nurse Professional Competence Scale, Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale.

Fisher's non-parametric permutation test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test, Spearman rank correlation test, calculating sum score. Multiple linear regressions and reliability testing with Cronbach's alpha.

Response rate, 58.7%; mean age, 44.7 years; work experience, 0.2 years to 45 years (mean 16.4 years); 83.4% women. 82.4% bachelor's degree; out of these, 34.3% with an additional master's degree. 17.6% nursing diploma without an academic degree. The highest mean scores for the NPC Scale were in Value-based nursing care, Medical and technical care. The lowest were in Care pedagogics and Development, leadership and organisation of nursing care. Total mean score 84.3, (79.3-90.0). Specialist nurses scored higher in all areas except Care pedagogics. Predictive factors indicated being a woman was positively associated with higher competence scores in all six areas, β coefficients 2.2-5.3 with p < 0.05. Longer nursing experience was positively associated with higher competence in Nursing care (β 0.17 per year, p = 0.01), Medical and technical care (β 0.14 per year, p = 0.01). The occupational self-efficacy scale was strongly positively associated with higher competence in all areas, β per scale step 0.42-0.63 with p < 0.0001. Nurses without academic degree had lower competence scores in several areas compared to bachelor's degree, β ranges from -3.47 to -2.31, p < 0.05.

Utilising competence data, the Swedish Enhanced Competence Development Model (vKUM) can effectively support the planning and management of ongoing professional competence development.

Study methods and results reported in adherence to STROBE checklist.

The nurses contributed their consent, time and data to this study.