Each year the nurses provide essential care to the millions of people who are hospitalized as a result of illness or injury. So that in theory, the care provided by theses nurse, must be safe and competent. Nursing, which is one the forefront of patient care in hospital, is faced with the challenge of determining how to ensure nurse competence. This task is very complicated because of the lake of consensus within the profession regarding how to define nurse competence. Without a solid definition of nurse competence, it is difficult to identify how to help nurses develop competence and establish which methods are best for …show more content…
Benner (1984) notices that nurses acquire skills over time with increased knowledge and experience. The skills that a nurse needs in order to be competent may vary depending on the area in which a nurse works.
*Caring: Caring is an essential attribute of nurse competence. Watson’s (1988) Theory of Human Caring combines a humanistic, caring approach to the scientific knowledge side of nursing. Additional to Watson’s theory, a nurse must not only possess the ability to perform technical skills appropriately but also promote patient health by a caring relationship and interpersonal skills.
*Communication: Nurse–patient communication and nurse–healthcare team communication are both important attributes of nurse competence. Peplau (1991) is the first one identified the importance of interpersonal relationships in nursing. Interpersonal relationships are also important in nurse competence. Patients associate nurse competence with how they perceived they were treated; therefore, nurses’ interactions and communications with patients are one of the greatest influences on a patient’s care experience (Calman, 2006; Shattell, 2004). In order to ensure patient safety and optimal treatment, nurses must be vigilant regarding their ability to effectively communicate with all members of the healthcare