CONCEPT 2: COMPETENCE
Competence is a “complex multidimensional phenomenon, defined as the ability of the registered nurse to practice safely and effectively, fulfilling his/her professional responsibility within his/her scope of practice” (ABA 2000).Although it is seen as an ambiguous and confusing term with no agreed definition (McMullan et al 2003, Storey 2001), Benner(1984),also defined competence as “a feeling of mastery, the ability to cope with and manage the contingencies of clinical nursing, conscious deliberate planning to achieve efficiency and organization”. Attributes of competence therefore include technical skills, communication and interpersonal skills as well as organizational and managerial skills (ABA 2000).
Competence is therefore important because nurses and midwives are faced with a variety of challenges as they work in a complex healthcare environment that is constantly undergoing advances/changes to meet the increasing and diversifying health needs of individuals and the population (Davidson et al 2013,Girot 2000, Naylor & Naylor 2012, NCPD 2010). The relevance of competence includes:-
Competence enhances patients’ outcomes. Nurses, like other professions, gain the public’s trust through their competence, credibility and accountability (Davidson et al 2013). Competence builds on a foundation of basic clinical skills, scientific knowledge and moral development (Branson et al 2015).
Supported by Branson et al (2015), a randomized controlled trial of