How to Cite:
Retnaningsih, D. (2022). Nursing competency for nursing students: An integrative
review. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S5), 6051–6058.
https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS5.11316
Nursing competency for nursing students: An
integrative review
Dwi Retnaningsih
Nursing Study Program, Universitas Widya Husada Semarang, Indonesia
Corresponding author email:
Abstract---Comprehensive nursing is a form of nursing services
including biological, psychological, social, spiritual and cultural
services necessarily performed by nurses. The literature review used
an integrative review approach to explain nursing competency. The
methods of this study used the theme analysis method by obtaining
the data from Science Direct, Pro Quest, Pub Med, Science and
Technology Index (SINTA) published from 2010 to 2021 and obtained
16 articles related to the development of instruments, competencies,
comprehensive of nursing, nursing students. There were 3 themes of
nursing competency. The first is competence related to the biological,
psychological, social, spiritual and cultural competence. The second is
competence related to caring and etikal knowlede for patients in any
conditions and the third is knowledge and information technology
competence. The term of competency refers to a comprehensive set of
knowledge, skills, attitudes, and ethics required by the nurses to
provide a safe and effective services to the clients. A nurse who has
nursing competency is most likely capable of implementing the 3
themes of nursing competency.
Keywords---Instrument development, competency, comprehensive
nursing, nursing student.
Introduction
The comprehensive nursing is a care service focused to recognize and integrate
the biological, psychological, social, cultural, or spiritual environments and
modality in everyday life and clinical practice. Besides, it is also able to create
nursing and healing services for patients. (Barbara Montgomery Dossey, 2013)The
application of comprehensive nursing including knowledge, skills, performance,
attitudes and values indicated that this concept is acceptable and able to be
developed according to the competency standards and assessment
instruments.(Cowan, D.T., Wilson-Barnett, J., Norman, 2007) The nursing
approach is a comprehensive model involving all aspects of care such as mental,
International Journal of Health Sciences ISSN 2550-6978 E-ISSN 2550-696X © 2022.
Manuscript submitted: 27 Feb 2022, Manuscript revised: 9 April 2022, Accepted for publication: 18 June 2022
6051
, 6052
spiritual, and social needs of the patients. The Studies showed that most nurses
were not familiar with the nursing model and only considered fulfilling biological
needs.(Fallis, 2019)
The competency in nursing care is an appropriate mechanism of care services by
optimizing patient health recovery. The development of nursing competencies
among health care providers and nursing students was considered a major
solution in improving the quality of care and reducing inequality in health
services.(Bernhard et al., 2015; Blanchet Garneau et al., 2017; Rebecca M.
Aldrich, 2017) The nursing competency must be apprehended by nurses and
nursing students. (“Cultural Competence: Annotated Bibliography 2009–2014,”
2017) The clinical nursing competency framework to reach a national and
international consensus required supervision. The London competency standard
claimed that the term of competency refers to a comprehensive set of knowledge,
skills and attitudes required to perform the activity safely and effectively without
direct supervision.((NMC), 2010) Canadian competency standards were defined as
the ability of registered nurses to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills,
judgments and personal attributes needed to perform the activity safely and
ethically in the roles and settings determined by 10 cooperative nursing
supervisory bodies.(Black, J., Allen, D., Redfern, 2008) Therefore, the assessment
of nursing competency is important to be considered by educators and education
managers.
Experienced nurses had intended to contribute significantly to the education of
the future nurses despite the difficulties mainly due to the shift from field nurses
to classroom nurses. (Boyd, P., & Lawley, 2009) The students required
preparation and formal education to ensure initial competency for a better
learning process and nursing facilities. (Salminen et al., 2021)The development of
comprehensive nursing continued to change along with the development of heath
science and technology and the increasing complexity of health problems faced by
the community. Nurses' sensitivity in providing nursing services was the main key
to quality and affordable services. Critical nursing is a specialist area of nursing
developed to meet the service needs of patients with acute and life-threatening
health problems and required intensive care.
Some competency assessment instruments in nursing education lacked evidence
of validity, reliability and flexibility. Otherwise, it was necessary to acquire the
valid and reliable instruments which had an impact on learning through
structured feedback to improve the quality of the graduates. Therefore, it was one
of the duties of nurses to develop nursing competency instruments. The literature
review used an integrative review approach to explain nursing competency.
Retnaningsih, D. (2022). Nursing competency for nursing students: An integrative
review. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S5), 6051–6058.
https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS5.11316
Nursing competency for nursing students: An
integrative review
Dwi Retnaningsih
Nursing Study Program, Universitas Widya Husada Semarang, Indonesia
Corresponding author email:
Abstract---Comprehensive nursing is a form of nursing services
including biological, psychological, social, spiritual and cultural
services necessarily performed by nurses. The literature review used
an integrative review approach to explain nursing competency. The
methods of this study used the theme analysis method by obtaining
the data from Science Direct, Pro Quest, Pub Med, Science and
Technology Index (SINTA) published from 2010 to 2021 and obtained
16 articles related to the development of instruments, competencies,
comprehensive of nursing, nursing students. There were 3 themes of
nursing competency. The first is competence related to the biological,
psychological, social, spiritual and cultural competence. The second is
competence related to caring and etikal knowlede for patients in any
conditions and the third is knowledge and information technology
competence. The term of competency refers to a comprehensive set of
knowledge, skills, attitudes, and ethics required by the nurses to
provide a safe and effective services to the clients. A nurse who has
nursing competency is most likely capable of implementing the 3
themes of nursing competency.
Keywords---Instrument development, competency, comprehensive
nursing, nursing student.
Introduction
The comprehensive nursing is a care service focused to recognize and integrate
the biological, psychological, social, cultural, or spiritual environments and
modality in everyday life and clinical practice. Besides, it is also able to create
nursing and healing services for patients. (Barbara Montgomery Dossey, 2013)The
application of comprehensive nursing including knowledge, skills, performance,
attitudes and values indicated that this concept is acceptable and able to be
developed according to the competency standards and assessment
instruments.(Cowan, D.T., Wilson-Barnett, J., Norman, 2007) The nursing
approach is a comprehensive model involving all aspects of care such as mental,
International Journal of Health Sciences ISSN 2550-6978 E-ISSN 2550-696X © 2022.
Manuscript submitted: 27 Feb 2022, Manuscript revised: 9 April 2022, Accepted for publication: 18 June 2022
6051
, 6052
spiritual, and social needs of the patients. The Studies showed that most nurses
were not familiar with the nursing model and only considered fulfilling biological
needs.(Fallis, 2019)
The competency in nursing care is an appropriate mechanism of care services by
optimizing patient health recovery. The development of nursing competencies
among health care providers and nursing students was considered a major
solution in improving the quality of care and reducing inequality in health
services.(Bernhard et al., 2015; Blanchet Garneau et al., 2017; Rebecca M.
Aldrich, 2017) The nursing competency must be apprehended by nurses and
nursing students. (“Cultural Competence: Annotated Bibliography 2009–2014,”
2017) The clinical nursing competency framework to reach a national and
international consensus required supervision. The London competency standard
claimed that the term of competency refers to a comprehensive set of knowledge,
skills and attitudes required to perform the activity safely and effectively without
direct supervision.((NMC), 2010) Canadian competency standards were defined as
the ability of registered nurses to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills,
judgments and personal attributes needed to perform the activity safely and
ethically in the roles and settings determined by 10 cooperative nursing
supervisory bodies.(Black, J., Allen, D., Redfern, 2008) Therefore, the assessment
of nursing competency is important to be considered by educators and education
managers.
Experienced nurses had intended to contribute significantly to the education of
the future nurses despite the difficulties mainly due to the shift from field nurses
to classroom nurses. (Boyd, P., & Lawley, 2009) The students required
preparation and formal education to ensure initial competency for a better
learning process and nursing facilities. (Salminen et al., 2021)The development of
comprehensive nursing continued to change along with the development of heath
science and technology and the increasing complexity of health problems faced by
the community. Nurses' sensitivity in providing nursing services was the main key
to quality and affordable services. Critical nursing is a specialist area of nursing
developed to meet the service needs of patients with acute and life-threatening
health problems and required intensive care.
Some competency assessment instruments in nursing education lacked evidence
of validity, reliability and flexibility. Otherwise, it was necessary to acquire the
valid and reliable instruments which had an impact on learning through
structured feedback to improve the quality of the graduates. Therefore, it was one
of the duties of nurses to develop nursing competency instruments. The literature
review used an integrative review approach to explain nursing competency.
