Abstract:
Objective: the aim of present study was to assess clinical practice competence and associated factors among generic graduating Nursing students of selected public universities found in Eastern part of Ethiopia.
Method: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 143 generic graduating Nursing Students of selected public universities in Eastern Ethiopia from July 15 to August 15, 2022. Simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data was collected using self-administered structured questionnaire and observation checklist. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistic, bivariate, logistic regression was used for data analysis. Results were presented in the form of tables, figures, and summary statistics such as mean, standard deviation and percentage. Crude and adjusted odds ratios together with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were computed. Variable with P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
Proportion of Clinical practice competence among generic graduating nursing students was 53.1%. Students with good clinical instructors were 3.79 times more likely to be competent than students who didn’t have good clinical instructors [AOR: 3.794; 95% CI (1.561, 9.219)]. Students in conducive clinical setting were 3.59 times more likely to be competent than students who did not had conducive clinical setting [AOR: 3.595; 95% CI (1.264, 10.228)]. Students assessed with measurable assessment method were 3.77 times more likely to be competent than students assessed without measurable assessment method [AOR: 3.771; 95% CI (1.528, 9.304)].
Conclusion and recommendation: more than half of generic graduating nursing students were clinically competent. Clinical Instructor, clinical setting, and assessment method factors were significantly associated with clinical practice competence. Therefore universities are expected to enhance students’ competence encouraging students during clinical practice, upgrading clinical setting, developing measurable assessment method and strengthening disciplinary measures on students those use addictive substances
