Clinical competence and related factors among Vietnamese nursing students: a cross-sectional study

Background & Objective: Clinical competence is a key outcome of nursing education and a fundamental determinant of high-quality patient care.Although numerous studies have examined factors influencing clinical competence, limited evidence is available regarding nursing students in Vietnam.This study aimed to assess clinical competence and identify associated factors among Vietnamese nursing students. Materials & Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out from January to April 2024 among 326 full-time nursing students who had completed at least one clinical course at Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy, using a convenience sampling approach.Data were collected using four instruments: a demographic questionnaire, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, and the Clinical Competence Questionnaire.Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and study variables, and correlations were examined using Spearman's rank-order, point-biserial, and Pearson's correlation analyses, as appropriate.All analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20.0, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results:The participants had a high level of clinical competence, with a mean score of 4.20 ± 0.37.Among the domains, core nursing skills had the highest mean score (4.43 ± 0.38), while advanced nursing skills had the lowest (3.81 ± 0.69).Academic year, satisfaction with the clinical learning environment, relationships with medical staff, self-efficacy, and self-directed learning readiness were significantly correlated with clinical competence.Notably, self-directed learning readiness demonstrated the strongest correlation (r = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.425 -0.586, p < 0.001).Conclusion: Vietnamese nursing students demonstrated a high level of clinical competence, with psychological factors, particularly self-efficacy and self-directed learning readiness, emerging as significant correlates.These findings highlight the need for nursing programs to strengthen self-directed learning activities, enhance student self-efficacy through supportive teaching and mentorship, and foster positive clinical learning environments to further improve clinical competence.