Objectives: Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare delivery; however, in Vietnam, the number of nurses and their practical care competencies do not meet the requirements of healthcare quality. This study aimed to describe the basic care competencies of clinical nurses and identify some associated factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among all nurses working in the clinical departments of Bac Giang Provincial General Hospital. Data were collected in 2023 using a 60-item self-reported tool based on the 15 criteria of the Basic Competency Standards for Vietnamese Nurses, employing a 5-point Likert scale. The data were statistically analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Mann-Whitney U test and linear regression.
Results: There were 344 clinical nurses who participated in this study. The mean score for nurses' care practice competence was 4.06 ± 0.30 out of 5, with 74.1% of nurses feeling confident in their competencies. The multiple linear regression model found that female nurses (coef. = 0.11, p = 0.022), nurses in surgical departments (coef. = 0.11, p = 0.002), and nurses who received training in the past two years (coef. = 0.20, p = 0.003) were associated with higher competence.
Conclusions: The findings highlighted the necessity of continuous training to enhance nurses’ care competencies. It is recommended that hospital management foster and prioritize training programs for clinical nurses to improve the quality of healthcare services.