PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to explore the concept of nurse competence.
DATA SOURCES: Data sources include EBSCOhost, Gale PowerSearch, ProQuest, PubMed Medline, Google Scholar, and Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.
DATA SYNTHESIS: This paper utilizes Rodgers' evolutionary method to analyze the concept of nurse competence.
CONCLUSION: Antecedents to nurse competence include personal and external motivations. Attributes include integrating knowledge into practice, experience, critical thinking, proficient skills, caring, communication, environment, motivation, and professionalism. Consequences include confidence, safe practice, and holistic care. Implications for nursing responsibility regarding defining nurse competence and ensuring nurse competence need to be identified. More research is needed to determine the best evaluation methods for the different facets of nurse competence.
BaldursdottirG.JonsdottirH. (2002). The importance of nurse caring behaviors as perceived by patients receiving care at an emergency department. Heart & Lung: The Journal of Critical Care, 31(1), 67–75. doi:10.1067/mhl.2002.119835
4.
BartlettH.SimoniteV.WestcottE.TaylorH. (2000). A comparison of the nursing competence of graduates and diplomats from UK nursing programmes. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 9, 369–381. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2702.2000.00331.x
5.
BennerP. (1982). From novice to expert. American Journal of Nursing, 82(3), 402–407.
6.
BennerP. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley.
7.
BennerP. (2004). Using the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition to describe and interpret skill acquisition and clinical judgment in nursing practice and education. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 24(3), 188–199. doi:10.1177/0270467604265061
8.
BennerP.TannerC.CheslaC. (1996). Expertise in nursing practice. Caring, clinical judgement and ethics. New York: Springer.
9.
BradshawA. (1998). Defining “competency” in nursing (part II): An analytical review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 7(2), 103–111. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2702.1998.00130.x
10.
BradshawA. (2000a). Competence and British nursing: A view from history. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 9(3), 321–329. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2702.2000.00399.x
BradshawA.MerrimanC. (2008). Nursing competence 10 years on: Fit for practice and purpose yet?Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(10), 1263–1269. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.02243.x
13.
BurnsP.PosterE. (2008). Competency development in new registered nurse graduates: Closing the gap between education and practice. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 39(2), 67–73.
CowanD.NormanI.CoopamahV. (2005). Competence in nursing practice: A controversial concept—A focused review of literature. Nurse Education Today, 25, 355–362. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2005.03.002
18.
DreyfusS.DreyfusH. (1980). A five-stage model of the mental activities involved in directed skills acquisition. Unpublished report supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFSC), USAF, Under Contract F49620-79-0063 with the University of California. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA084551&Location=U
19.
EpsteinR.HundertE. (2002). Defining and assessing professional competence. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287(2), 226–235. doi:10.1001/jama.287.2.226
20.
ErautM. (1994). Developing professional knowledge and competence. Abingdon, UK: Routledge Falmer Press.
21.
ErautM. (1998). Concepts of competence: Competence to practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 12(2), 127–139.
22.
FosbiderD. (1994). Patient perceptions of nursing care: An emerging theory of interpersonal competence. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 20, 1085–1093. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.1994.20061085.x
23.
FowlerL. (1998). Improving critical thinking in nursing practice. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 14(4), 183–187.
24.
GirotE. A. (1993). Assessment of competence in clinical practice: A phenomenological approach. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 18(1), 114–119. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.1993.18010114.x
LipmanM. (1987). Some thoughts on the foundations of reflective education. InBaronJ.SternbergR. (Eds.), Teaching thinking skills: Theory and practice (pp.152–161). New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.
30.
MarshburnD.EngelkeM.SwansonM. (2009). Relationships of new nurses' perceptions and measured performance-based clinical competence. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40(9), 426–432. doi:10.3928/00220124-20090824-02
31.
MayB.EdellV.ButellS.DoughtyJ.LangfordC. (1999). Critical thinking and clinical competence: A study of their relationship in BSN seniors. Journal of Nursing Education, 38(3), 100–110.
32.
McCreadyT. (2007). Portfolios and the assessment of competence in nursing: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 44, 143–151. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2006.01.013
33.
MeretojaR.ErikssonE.Leino-KilpiH. (2002). Indicators for competent nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Management, 10, 95–102. doi:10.1046/j.0966-0429.2001.00299.x
34.
MeretojaR.IsoahoH.Leino-KilpiH. (2004). Nurse Competence Scale: Development and psychometric testing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 47(2), 124–133. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03071.x
35.
MeretojaR.Leino-KilpiH. (2003). Comparison of competence assessments made by nurse managers and practising nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 11(6), 404–409. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2834.2003.00413.x
36.
MeretojaR.Leino-KilpiH.KairaA. (2004). Comparison of nurse competence in different hospital work environments. Journal of Nursing Management, 12(5), 329–336. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2004.00422.x
37.
NagelsmithL. (1995). Competence: An evolving concept. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 26(6), 245–248.
38.
NiebuhrB.BielM. (2007, July). The value of specialty nursing certification. Nursing Outlook, 55(4), 176–181. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2007.02.002
PeplauH. (1988). The art and science of nursing: Similarities, differences, and relations. Nursing Science Quarterly, 1(1), 8–15. doi:10.1177/089431848800100105
41.
PeplauH. (1991). Interpersonal relations in nursing: A conceptual frame of reference for psychodynamic nursing. (Originally published in 1952.) New York: Springer.
42.
PotterP.WolfL.BoxermanS.GraysonD.SledgeJ.DunaganC.EvanoffB. (2005). Understanding the cognitive work of nursing in the acute care environment. Journal of Nursing Administration, 35(7–8), 327–335.
43.
RamrituP. L.BarnardA. (2001). New nurse graduates' understanding of competence. International Nursing Review, 48(1), 47–57. doi:10.1046/j.1466-7657.2001.00048.x
44.
RodgersB. (1989). Concepts, analysis and the development of nursing knowledge: The evolutionary cycle. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 14(4), 330–335. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.1989.tb03420.x
45.
RodgersB. (2000a). Philosophical foundations of concept development. InRodgersB.KnaflK. (Eds.), Concept development in nursing: Foundations, techniques, and applications (2nd ed., pp.7–37). Philadelphia: Saunders.
46.
RodgersB. (2000b). Concept analysis: An evolutionary view. InRodgersB.KnaflK. (Eds.), Concept development in nursing: Foundations, techniques, and applications (2nd ed., pp.77–102). Philadelphia: Saunders.
47.
ShattellM. (2004). Nurse–patient interaction: A review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 13, 714–722. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2004.00965.x
Tabari-KhomeiranR.KigerA.Parsa-YektaZ.AhmadiF. (2007). Competence development among nurses: The process of constant interaction. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 38(5), 211–218.
50.
Tabari-KhomeiranR.YektaZ.KigerA.AhmadiF. (2006). Professional competence: Factors described by nurses as influencing their development. International Nursing Review, 53, 66–72.
von EssenL.SjödénP-O. (1991). The importance of nurse caring behaviors as perceived by Swedish hospital patients and nursing staff. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 28(3), 267–281. doi:10.1016/0020-7489(91)90020
53.
WadeC. (2008, December). Perceived effects of specialty nurse certification: A review of the literature. AORN Journal, 89(1), 183–188, 190–192. doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2008.06.015
54.
WalkerL.AvantK. (2005). Strategies for theory construction in nursing (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
55.
WatsonJ. (1988). Nursing: Human science and human care—A theory of nursing. New York: National League of Nursing Press.
WatsonR.StimpsonA.ToppingA.PorockD. (2002). Clinical competence assessment in nursing: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 39, 421–431. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02307
58.
WeaverK.MitchamC. (2008). Nursing concept analysis in North America: State of the art. Nursing Philosophy: An International Journal for Healthcare Professionals, 9, 180–194.
59.
WoodruffeC. (1993). What is meant by a competency?Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 14(1), 29–36. doi:10.1108/eb053651
60.
WyndC. (2003). Current factors contributing to professionalism in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 19(5), 251–261. doi:10.1016/S8755-7223(03)00104-2
