Nurses' Self-Reported Professional Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study at a Regional Teaching Hospital in Sweden.

Aim: To investigate and compare the self-assessed professional competence of registered nurses, specialist nurses and midwives at a regional teaching hospital in Sweden. Moreover, to explore associations between potential predictive background factors and self-assessed professional competence.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: Convenience sample of 615 nurses answered a questionnaire; sociodemographic data, 35-item Nurse Professional Competence Scale, Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale.

Statistical Analyses: Fisher's non-parametric permutation test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test, Spearman rank correlation test, calculating sum score. Multiple linear regressions and reliability testing with Cronbach's alpha.

Results: Response rate, 58.7%; mean age, 44.7 years; work experience, 0.2 years to 45 years (mean 16.4 years); 83.4% women. 82.4% bachelor's degree; out of these, 34.3% with an additional master's degree. 17.6% nursing diploma without an academic degree. The highest mean scores for the NPC Scale were in Value-based nursing care, Medical and technical care. The lowest were in Care pedagogics and Development, leadership and organisation of nursing care. Total mean score 84.3, (79.3-90.0). Specialist nurses scored higher in all areas except Care pedagogics. Predictive factors indicated being a woman was positively associated with higher competence scores in all six areas, β coefficients 2.2-5.3 with p < 0.05. Longer nursing experience was positively associated with higher competence in Nursing care (β 0.17 per year, p = 0.01), Medical and technical care (β 0.14 per year, p = 0.01). The occupational self-efficacy scale was strongly positively associated with higher competence in all areas, β per scale step 0.42-0.63 with p < 0.0001. Nurses without academic degree had lower competence scores in several areas compared to bachelor's degree, β ranges from -3.47 to -2.31, p < 0.05.

Conclusion: Utilising competence data, the Swedish Enhanced Competence Development Model (vKUM) can effectively support the planning and management of ongoing professional competence development.

Reporting Method: Study methods and results reported in adherence to STROBE checklist.

Patient Or Public Contribution: The nurses contributed their consent, time and data to this study.