SURVEY ON CLINICAL COMPETENCE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS AT CAN THO UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY

Tóm tắt

Background: Clinical competence refers to the ability of nursing students to integrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to perform specific nursing activities effectively and safely. It is a fundamental component of nursing education, as it is closely related to professional standards and patient safety. As healthcare continues to evolve and the demand for high-quality healthcare services increases, nursing students are expected to meet higher standards of clinical performance. Objectives: To describe the clinical competence of nursing students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 98 third- and fourth-year nursing students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Results: The average clinical competence score of students was 186.06 ± 28.09. Among the domains, nursing professional behaviors had the highest score (64.90 ± 10.51), followed by core nursing skills (50.50 ± 8.31), with advanced nursing skills receiving the lowest average score (23.79 ± 4.13). Students rated themselves highly in maintaining appropriate appearance, attire, and conduct; adhering to ethical and legal standards of practice; and successfully performing skills such as taking a history for new admissions, administering intramuscular medications, subcutaneous injections, oral medications, venipuncture, and intravenous injections. However, certain skills, including shift reporting, enema administration, tracheostomy care, blood transfusion, and chest tube care with underwater seal management, were identified as areas requiring improvement. Conclusions: Nursing students demonstrated strong clinical competence, particularly in professional behavior and basic skills. However, improvement in advanced skills is necessary to fully meet the demands of clinical practice and enhance the quality of healthcare services.