The connection between the patients nursing care product and the professional competencies of nurses

Abstract

Background:
Nurses play a vital role in emergency and urgent care settings, where their competencies significantly impact the quality of care delivered to patients. These competencies encompass skills such as clinical reasoning, leadership, decision-making, and communication, all of which are essential in fast-paced and high-pressure environments. Despite the critical nature of these competencies, the relationship between nurses' professional competencies and the outcomes of patients nursing care in urgent and emergency units remains underexplored.
Methods:
This study was conducted in two public hospitals with emergency and urgent care units. A total of 99 nurses participated, completing two validated Brazilian instruments: the Competence Scale of Actions of Nurses in Emergencies (ECAEE) and the Patients nursing care Product Assessment Scale (APROCENF). Data were collected and descriptive statistics, correlations, and reliability analyses were performed to examine the relationship between nurses’ competencies and the quality of care provided.
Results:
The study revealed significant correlations between nurses' competencies in professional practice, workplace relationships, and other key factors with the quality of patients nursing care outcomes. Self-evaluations consistently showed higher competency ratings compared to evaluations by nursing leaders. The quality of patients nursing care , as measured by the APROCENF scale, was predominantly rated as "Good," reflecting a positive assessment of care delivered. The study also highlighted the influence of factors like staffing, care monitoring, and addressing patient needs on nursing outcomes.
Conclusion:
Nurses’ professional competencies play a critical role in ensuring the quality of care in urgent and emergency settings. The competencies assessed in this study, including professional practice, communication, and clinical decision-making, were strongly associated with the quality of patients nursing care outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of fostering specialized competencies among nurses to enhance care delivery in high-pressure clinical environments.