CLINICAL COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT METHOD IN UNDERGRADUATE NURSING PROGRAM IN SWAT

Abstract

Background: Clinical competency assessment is a fundamental component of undergraduate nursing education, ensuring that students acquire the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors required for safe and effective patient care. However, variations in assessment methods and challenges within clinical learning environments may affect students' competency development. Objective: To assess the clinical competency assessment methods used in undergraduate nursing programs in Swat and evaluate students' perceptions of their effectiveness. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students from selected nursing institutes in Swat, Pakistan. A convenience sampling technique was used, and data were collected through a structured online questionnaire. A total of 317 students participated in the study. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) summarized participant characteristics and responses, while Chi-square tests examined associations between demographic variables and perceptions of clinical competency assessment (p < 0.05). Results: Most participants were BSN students (94.3%), male (68.2%), aged over 20 years (75.8%), and in the fourth year of study (43.6%). Students reported several barriers affecting clinical competency development, including inadequate teacher-to-student ratios, inconsistent clinical supervision, insufficient collaboration with nursing and medical staff, lack of synchronization between theory and practice, limited availability of equipment, overcrowding during clinical practice, communication barriers with patients, and psychological factors such as fear and embarrassment. Gender showed significant associations with many of these perceptions (p < 0.05), while age, department, and year of study demonstrated significant relationships with selected variables only. Conclusion: Undergraduate nursing students in Swat experience multiple educational, clinical, and organizational challenges that influence the effectiveness of clinical competency assessment. Standardized assessment methods, improved clinical supervision, strengthened collaboration between educational institutions and healthcare facilities, and adequate clinical resources are recommended to enhance competency development and prepare competent nursing graduates.

Keywords: Clinical competency, Competency assessment, Undergraduate nursing students, Nursing education, Clinical education, Swat, Pakistan.