Effect of Contextualized Competency-Based Clinical Skills Training on Nurses' Performance in a Private Hospital in...

Persistent gaps between nurses' educational preparation and clinical performance requirements represent a critical challenge in Indonesian hospital settings. Structured, contextualized training aligned with local clinical demands may offer a practical approach to addressing these gaps and improving nursing workforce performance.

This study aimed to examine the effect of a Contextualized Competency-Based Clinical Skills Training program delivered via a pitstop, rotating-station method on nurses' clinical performance in a private hospital in Pekanbaru, Indonesia.

A quasi-experimental two-group pretest-posttest design was employed from October to December 2025. Using proportionate stratified random sampling, 72 nurses were allocated to an intervention group (n = 36) or a control group (n = 36). The intervention was a 12-hour training across six rotating skills stations covering clinical communication, patient safety, documentation, medication safety, and professionalism. Performance was measured using a self-reported, validated 24-item Nurse Performance Questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.973). Within-group changes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, between-group posttest comparison using the Mann-Whitney U test, and adjusted between-group effects using ANCOVA, with a fully adjusted model controlling for pretest score, age, work experience, and clinical career level.

The intervention group showed a significant within-group increase from 81.00 (SD = 10.29) to 88.17 (SD = 6.61) (Z = -3.63, p < 0.001, r = 0.62); the control group did not (86.19 to 88.06; Z = -1.64, p = 0.100). Mann-Whitney U at posttest was non-significant (U = 673.0, p = 0.776). The fully adjusted ANCOVA showed no significant group effect (F = 0.002, p = 0.964, partial η² < 0.001).

In this quasi-experimental study, the training did not demonstrate a statistically significant effect on nurses' clinical performance after adjustment. Larger randomized studies with objective measures and longer follow-up are needed.