Core dimensions and measurement characteristics of multidimensional nursing competency assessment instruments: A...

Nursing competency assessment is crucial for evaluating nurses' skills and ensuring the quality of patient care. However, existing instruments face limitations, including inconsistencies in core competency dimensions, incomplete psychometric validation, and limited cross-cultural applicability.

This systematic review aimed to provide an overview of multidimensional nursing competency assessment instruments and to identify recommendations for future assessment methods.

The researchers followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL for studies published between 2015 and 2025. The retrieval strategy was based on the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) framework, using keywords such as "nursing competency," "assessment instruments," and "psychometric properties." COSMIN criteria (Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments) were used to assess psychometric quality. Twenty-five studies were included.

Six core measurement dimensions were identified: Clinical Nursing Competency (100 % of instruments) and Communication & Teamwork (84 %) were the most common, whereas Leadership & Management Competency (40 %) and Evidence-Based Practice & Research Competency (28 %) were missing from some instruments. Most instruments demonstrated high internal consistency; 84 % of studies reported Cronbach's α ≥ 0.75. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used in 64 % of studies and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in 48 %, but many CFA models had low fit (CFI < 0.90). Only 20 % of studies reported predictive validity testing, suggesting that most instruments have not established long-term outcomes.

Most assessment instruments show high reliability and internal consistency but lack sufficient structural and predictive validity, limiting their long-term effectiveness in evaluating nursing competency. The lack of cross-cultural validation also restricts their global applicability. Future research should prioritize the development of standardized, culturally adapted instruments with robust psychometric properties, potentially leveraging advanced assessment technologies to improve accuracy and usability.