Is the competence of Swedish Registered Nurses working in municipal care of older people
merely a question of age and postgraduate education?
Sammanfattning
Objectives: Previous studies suggest that not only education
but also personal aspects such as experience of working
as a registered nurse (RN) and age can influence
competence. The objective was to explore the educational
and self-rated competence of RNs and their duties within
the care of older people.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used.
All RNs in two counties in Sweden were asked to complete
a written questionnaire: a study specific questionnaire
with educational and work related questions using
the Nurse Competence Scale. The response rate was 61%
(n 344).
Results: Higher self-rated satisfaction with own professional
competence was related to older age, more years
after nursing education and possessing at least one postgraduate
education in specialist nursing. Educational
needs were related to younger age and fewer years since
nursing graduation. Education within elder care, including
education about drugs was rated the most urgently
needed area of education. The most frequently reported
tasks were found in the domain helping role, whereas
ensuring quality was less present in their daily work.
Conclusions: Educational level, age and years of experience
had an impact on RNs’ self-perceived competence,
which is in accordance with previous descriptions of the
concept competence. It seems imperative that RNs working
in care of the old and with the demands placed on
them are given the opportunity to take a postgraduate
specialist education in order to gain a competence level
in their desired area of work. It is also important that
RNs working in care of the old get tailored education in
line with the requirements the organisation places on
them. Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.