J Korean Acad Nurs Adm.  2010 Mar;16(1):37-47.

Predictors of the Clinical Competence in New Graduate Nurses

• Shin YW
• Lee H
• Lim Y

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of clinical competence in new graduate nurses.
METHODS
The subjects of this study were 238 nurses at 13 general hospitals who have had less than 12 months of nursing experience. The data were collected by structured questionnaire from August 5 to August 31 of 2009 and analyzed by the SPSS Win 12.0 program.
RESULTS
The total mean score for clinical competence was 181.05+/-15.17, critical thinking disposition was 94.65+/-8.12, and practice environment was 41.00+/-5.55. There were significant differences of clinical competence according to the GPA (t=-3.58, p<.001), the number of beds in the hospital (t=-3.22, p=.001), instruction by preceptor (t=-2.32, p=.021), and previous experience of clinical practice in the hospital (t=-2.21, p=.028). Additionally, critical thinking disposition and practice environment were positively correlated to clinical competence (r=.50, p<.001; r=.20, p=.002). In multivariate approach, predictors included in this study explained 43% of variance in clinical competence. Significant predictors of clinical competence were critical thinking disposition (beta=.50, p<.001), practice environment (beta=.14, p=.012), and working duration (beta=.13, p=.018).
CONCLUSIONS
Based on these findings, it is needed that providing supportive practice environment and developing curriculum for enhancing the critical thinking disposition to improve the clinical competence in new graduate nurses.

Keyword

Clinical competence; Mental processes; Education; Nursing; Graduate

MeSH Terms

Clinical Competence
Curriculum
Hospitals, General
Mental Processes
Surveys and Questionnaires
Thinking

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