Operational nurse managers’ perceptions on the competence of community service nurses in public settings in the Western Cape

 The article "Operational nurse managers’ perceptions on the competence of community service nurses in public settings" is published in Curationis and available on this  link                https://curationis.org.za/index.php/curationis/article/view/2174

Two of the authors (Dr. Vatiswa Maki and Dr Theresa Bock) is affiliated with the Western Cape College of Nursing (WCCN). Having a research article published in an accredited journal such as Curationis, has benefits for the researchers as well as their institutions. Their publication serves as a means to disseminate and make researchers and practitioners of similar interest, aware of new knowledge in their area of interest.

Abstract

Background: Community service nurses placed in the Western Cape Government public health facilities render essential healthcare to underserved populations. Anecdotal evidence from operational nurse managers indicated concerns that community service nurses may lack competence in basic required nursing competencies.

Objectives: To investigate operational nurse managers’ perceptions of the competence of community service nurses in public health facilities in the Western Cape.

Method: A quantitative survey was conducted with an all-inclusive sample of 297 operational nurse managers in the Western Cape. A self-administered questionnaire with 65 questions with a 4-point rating scale was used to rate the perceived competence of community service nurses across the South African Nursing Council (SANC) competencies. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated per competency domain.

Results: The survey (response rate: 59%) showed that the operational nurse managers perceived the community service nurses to be competent in the clinical patient care domain and mostly either developing proficiency or proficient in the SANC competencies of  legal framework and ethical practice, interprofessional relationships, leadership, quality management and management competency domains.

Conclusion: Community service nurses were found to be competent in the clinical patient care, possibly because of the integration of theory and practice focus of work-integrated learning in the programme. Education and practice supportive strategies for community service, nurses should be developed to support the successful the transition from students to community service nurses, especially around the development of research and critical thinking skills.

Cite this article: Makie, V., Jooste, K., Mabuda, T.B., Bock, T., Lourens, G.M., Van As, M. et al. 2021. ‘Operational nurse managers’ perceptions on the competence of community service nurses in public settings in the Western Cape. Curationis 44(1), a2174. https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v44i1.2174