J Korean Acad Soc Nurs Educ.  2022 Feb;28(1):5-14. 10.5977/jkasne.2022.28.1.5.

Analysis of the importance of nursing care and performance confidence perceived by nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit

• Lim H
• Lee H
• Kim E
• Kim H
• Jang E

• KMID: 2527151
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5977/jkasne.2022.28.1.5

Abstract

Purpose
Neonatal nurses are expected to have clinical competency to provide qualified and safe care for high-risk infants. An educational intervention to enhance nurses’ clinical competence is often a priority in the nursing field. This study was conducted to explore nurses’ perceived importance and performance confidence of nursing care activities in neonatal intensive care units.
Methods
One hundred forty-one neonatal nurses from seven hospitals across South Korea participated in the online survey study. The scale of neonatal nursing care activity consisted of 8 subdomains including professional practice (assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation, education, research, and leadership). The Importance-Performance Matrix was used to analyze the importance of and confident performance in each of the nursing subdomains.
Results
Both importance and performance confidence increased as nurses’ age (p=.042 and p<.001) and clinical experience (p=.004 and p<.001). Participants scored relatively higher in importance and performance confidence in the professional practice subdomains (assessment, intervention, evaluation), but scored lower in the education and research subdomains.
Conclusion
To provide evidence-based nursing care for high-risk infants in neonatal intensive care units, educational interventions should be developed to support nurses based on the findings of the research.

Keyword

Neonatal intensive care unit; Clinical competence; Nurses; 신생아중환자실; 임상 역량; 간호사