DOI: 10.1097/nne.0000000000002290 ISSN: 0363-3624

Core Competencies and Associated Factors Among Clinical Nurse Educators

Jinyun Wang, Lili Yang, Junqing Chen

Background:

Clinical nurse educators (CNEs) in China are required to maintain clinical nursing care while undertaking educational management responsibilities, but evidence on their competency profile remains limited.

Purpose:

Assess the core competencies of CNEs and identify associated factors.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with CNEs from hospitals in China using convenience sampling.

Results:

Among the 898 responses, the total competency score was moderate; clinical nursing skills scored highest, and innovation and research competency scored lowest. Competency differed by region, age, professional title, clinical work experience, years as a CNE, initial education, and specialized training (all P < 0.05). Pre-appointment training for clinical teaching was the strongest and most consistent predictor.

Conclusions:

CNEs reported moderate competency, with the greatest gap in innovation and research. Pre-appointment training was consistently associated with higher competency, highlighting the need for structured preparation for teaching and ongoing professional development.

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