Pre-registration nurses' competence as assessed by clinical nurse mentors

OBJECTIVE. To describe the professional competence of pre-registered nursing students as assessed by their clinical nurse mentors and to compare these results with the students' self-perception. METHODS. Cross-sectional study in clinical nurse mentors (n = 86) and preregistration nursing students (n = 87) in three public hospitals and health centers in the north of Spain. We designed a questionnaire with three dimensions (knowledge, nursing skills, and attitudes) to assess nursing students' professional competence. Data were collected in the work centers and university classrooms after the students had completed their clinical practices in 2016. RESULTS. The nurse mentors observed high competence in all three dimensions, attributing higher competence to students' knowledge and nursing skills than did the students themselves, in contrast to their attitudes, which the students overestimated. The competences most highly rated by the nurses were motivation, theoretical knowledge, and responsibility. CONCLUSIONS. There were significant differences between students' self-perceptions and nurses' perceptions of student competence. Nurse mentors are a key element in the evaluation of nursing students. Future professionals' attitudes, an essential aspect of nursing, deserve more attention.