Core competences and influencing factors from a cross-sectional study of nurses working in burn units

BACKGROUND: The treatment and rehabilitation of burn patients is greatly aided by the nurses working in burn units. The situation of nurses working in burn units is rarely covered, nevertheless. The current study aims to determine the status and influencing factors of nurses' core competencies in burn departments across the country.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, multicenter investigation was conducted. Registered nurses who worked in the burn units of 12 tertiary hospitals in Mainland China were recruited using a purposeful sampling method. We conducted an online survey with structured questionnaires that included the Selfrating Scale for Core Competencies and socio-demographic data.

RESULTS: In total, 267 nurses working in burn units took part in our study. With a rating percentage of 76.22%, the basic abilities of nurses in burn departments had a mean score of 3.81 0.53. The core competencies of NBDs were influenced by professional title, length of employment, and experiences in burn intensive care units BICU, P 0.05, which accounted for 21.0% of the total variance.

CONCLUSION: According to our research, the fundamental abilities of nurses working in burn units were generally at a moderate level. This study also emphasises the need for nursing leaders and educators to support nurses' specific knowledge, teaching abilities, and critical thinking in burn departments.