Competence of clinical nurse educators in university hospitals: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The role of clinical nurse educators is essential in improving the quality of mentoring, supporting students’ learning and professional development during clinical training. The purpose was to explore the competence profiles of clinical nurse educators and background factors associated with these profiles. Data of this cross-sectional study were collected from clinical nurse educators ( n = 19) at Finnish university hospitals, using two instruments measuring the competence of healthcare educators. Data were analysed with K-means clustering and two profiles were identified based on sum variables. Significance between the differences of Profile 1 and Profile 2 was evaluated by comparing independent groups. The STROBE checklist was used as the reporting guideline for the manuscript. Educators’ competence varied between intermediate (2.50–3.49) and high (≥ 3.50) levels, and self-assessment of the Profile 1 was average higher than those in Profile 2. The results can be used to identify and develop the competence of clinical nurse educators and to consolidate the role and position of clinical nurse educators within healthcare education.

Exploring variations in IPC competencies: a cross-sectional study among healthcare professionals in Northwest China

“…This underscores the importance of educational qualifications in shaping the competency landscape among healthcare professionals in infection prevention and control. It has been found that clinical nurse educators with higher levels of education and greater lengths of work experience often report higher self-assessed levels of competence, highlighting the impact of educational backgrounds on competence levels [ 19 ].Institutions and policymakers should recognize the pivotal role of educational backgrounds, encouraging and facilitating continuous learning to ensure a skilled and competent IPC workforce capable of addressing evolving healthcare challenges.…”