Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Entrustable Professional Activities Among Newly Employed Nurses: A...

As newly employed nurses transition into clinical practice, understanding and implementing Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) is crucial for ensuring quality patient care and professional development. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of newly employed nurses regarding EPAs.

A cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted between September 2024 and November 2024 in six general hospitals. The study included newly employed nurses who voluntarily consented to participate. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect demographic characteristics and KAP scores.

A total of 240 valid questionnaires were collected. Among the participants, 193 (80.42%) were female, and 219 (91.25%) held an associate or bachelor's degree. Additionally, 142 respondents (59.17%) reported working 40 to 49 hours per week, while 172 (71.67%) had received training related to EPAs. The median (interquartile range) scores for knowledge, attitude, and self-reported practice were 16 (13-18.5), 46 (40-50), and 40 (38-49), respectively. Exploratory path analysis showed that knowledge was negatively associated with self-reported practice after accounting for attitude (β = -0.121, P = 0.012), whereas attitude was positively associated with self-reported practice (β = 0.514, P = 0.012). The path from knowledge to attitude (β = 0.111, P = 0.115) and the indirect association between knowledge and self-reported practice through attitude (β = 0.057, P = 0.127) were not statistically significant.

Newly employed nurses demonstrated insufficient knowledge but positive attitudes and proactive self-reported practices regarding EPAs. Positive attitudes were associated with higher self-reported practice scores, whereas the association between knowledge and self-reported practice was more complex. Targeted education combining EPA-related knowledge, practical training, and mentorship may support self-reported practice, although its effects on actual clinical performance and patient outcomes require evaluation in future longitudinal or interventional studies.