Clinical competence assessment in nursing

a systematic review of the literature

Watson, Roger BSc PhD RGN CBiol FIBiol ILTM FRSA
Stimpson, Anne BA RGN
Topping, Annie BSc PhD RGN PGCE(FE)
Porock, Davina BAppSci MSc PhD

Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing, Social Work and Applied Health Studies, University of Hull, Hull, UK (Watson)
Research Associate, Department of Nursing and Applied Health Studies, University of Hull, Hull, UK (Stimpson)
Head of Division – Nursing, School of Health Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK (Topping)
Associate Professor, Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA (Porock)

Correspondence: Roger Watson, School of Nursing, Social Work and Applied Health Studies, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK. E-mail: [email protected]

Submitted for publication 30 November 2001

Accepted for publication 31 May 2002

Journal of Advanced Nursing 39(5):p 421-431, September 2002.

Background

The assessment of clinical competence has returned to centre stage of nurse education. However, there is little evidence to support the use of clinical competence and a wide variety of methods for its use.

Research question

The present study was designed to investigate the evidence for the use of clinical competence assessment in nursing.

Design

A review using systematic methods of literature pertaining to clinical competence in nursing was conducted using defined dates, databases and search terms.

Results

There is still considerable confusion about the definition of clinical competence and most of the methods in use to define or measure competence have not been developed systematically and issues of reliability and validity have barely been addressed.

Conclusion

The assessment of clinical competence remains almost universally accepted in the nurse education literature as a laudable pursuit yet there are aspects of it that remain at odds with the higher education of nurses.