Content area
Aim
This study aims to determine and compare the achieved competencies of graduating nursing students of public and private universities in Iran.
Background
The main responsibility of nursing education is to train nurses who possess the necessary competencies to provide safe and high-quality care. Given that a significant proportion of nursing education in Iran is the responsibility of private universities, it is essential to ensure that nursing graduates acquire the required competencies.
Design and methods
A quantitative study with a comparative descriptive design was conducted. A convenience sample of 721 graduating nursing students, including 301 from private universities and 420 from public universities, participated in the study. Data was collected using a nursing competence questionnaire developed in the Iranian cultural context and rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = dependent to 5 = independent). The research findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the independent t-test.
Results
The students from public and private universities achieved the highest scores in work readiness and professional development, with means of 3.58 (SD = 0.39) and 3.48 (SD = 0.37), respectively. The lowest scores were obtained by both the public and private groups for evidence-based care, with means of 2.89 (SD = 0.54) and 2.54 (SD = 0.50), respectively. The mean score of core competence obtained by public nursing students across all 5 themes was higher than that of private students, and this difference was statistically significant (p < .05). The evidence-based nursing care showed the greatest difference in means (mean difference = 0.35), while individualized care had the smallest difference (mean difference = 0.09) according to the results of the independent t-test.
Conclusion
Neither public nor private university nursing students achieved an independent level in any of the competencies. However, public university students demonstrated greater success in acquiring most of the competencies compared private students. To enhance nursing students’ competencies, future studies should focus on developing operational solutions, particularly for students at private universities.
Details
Instructional Improvement;
Family Involvement;
Critical Thinking;
Communicative Competence (Languages);
Grade Point Average;
Nursing Education;
Communication (Thought Transfer);
Participant Characteristics;
Graduation;
Decision Making;
Competency Based Education;
Evidence Based Practice;
Educational Assessment;
Individual Characteristics;
Content Validity;
Educational Quality;
Competence;
Creative Thinking;
Information Science;
Participative Decision Making;
Nursing Students;
Professional Development;
Higher Education;
Career Readiness
Professional development;
Questionnaires;
Nursing administration;
Core competencies;
Student organizations;
Private colleges & universities;
Entrance examinations;
Patient safety;
Academic achievement;
Participation;
Decision making;
Higher education;
Nursing education;
Private schools;
Ethics;
Patient satisfaction;
Nursing care;
Nursing schools;
Evidence-based nursing;
Therapeutic communication;
Informatics;
Health services
1 Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Khoy, Iran (GRID:grid.513118.f); Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz, Iran (GRID:grid.412888.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2174 8913)
2 Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran, Iran (GRID:grid.411600.2); Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Medical Education Research Center, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz, Iran (GRID:grid.412888.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2174 8913)
3 Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Medical Education Research Center, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz, Iran (GRID:grid.412888.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2174 8913); Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz, Iran (GRID:grid.412888.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2174 8913)
4 Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran, Iran (GRID:grid.411600.2)
5 Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Medical Education Research Center, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz, Iran (GRID:grid.412888.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2174 8913); Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Tabriz, Iran (GRID:grid.412888.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2174 8913)