Navigating Disparities: An In-depth Analysis of Perceived Competency Importance and Training Discrepancies in Clinical Placements among Students and Clinical Nurses.

Purpose: This study investigated the perceived importance and training of competencies during nursing clinical placements by examining the perspectives of nursing students and clinical nurses.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey of 351 nursing students and 247 clinical nurses. We utilized the Borich needs assessment model to identify the perceived importance and training of competencies during clinical placement. Students and nurses rated their perceived importance and training levels on 32 competency items regarding direct nursing care, indirect nursing care, decision-making and problem-solving, attitude, and nursing professionalism.

Results: Students and clinical nurses identified nursing handovers, nursing records, crisis coping abilities, clinical problem identification, clinical decision making, and priority setting in nursing as competencies of greater importance and with more significant discrepancies from training during clinical placements (Quadrant I in the locus for focus model). Clinical nurses reported examination, skin integrity management, and communication with medical staff as having higher importance and greater discrepancies from training (Quadrant I). In contrast, students recognized them as having lower importance and higher discrepancies (Quadrant II). For students, the perceived importance of all competence domains was significantly associated with the corresponding training (Spearman's rho = .30-.56, p < .01). For clinical nurses, only the perceived importance of nursing professionalism was associated with all training domains (Spearman's rho = approximately .14-.20, p < .05).

Conclusions: The disparities between students' and nurses' perceptions of the importance and training of competencies during clinical placements highlight the need to modify the clinical nursing education system.