Development of a competency assessment tool for clinical teaching in community nursing

To develop and examine the content validity of a competency assessment tool for clinical teaching in community nursing, essential for high-quality nursing education, while addressing the lack of clarity and consistency in existing methods.

A qualitative, iterative methodological development and validation study was conducted with 10 clinical teachers. The process included: (1) identification of competency domains and competencies based on national nursing regulations and Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective (71 criteria); (2) refinement of the competency assessment criteria via focus groups (20 criteria); (3) development of a 5-point Likert scale with behavioural descriptors; and (4) creation of methodological guidelines for evaluators.

The tool comprises 6 competency domains and 20 criteria, described across five performance levels (poor to excellent), considering performance quality, autonomy, and application in complex contexts.

The instrument enhances fairness, consistency, and feedback, clarifies expectations, promotes student self-regulation, and provides a transparent tool for formative and summative assessment, with potential for adaptation in diverse community nursing settings involving individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. Implications for an International Audience: Although developed within a Portuguese educational context, the tool addresses competencies relevant to community nursing education internationally. Its structured competency domains and behavioural descriptors provide a framework that can be adapted to different educational and clinical contexts to support transparent, consistent, and development-oriented assessment of nursing students.