Predicting Factors of Competency among Professional Nurses at Emergency Department of government hospitals in Sisaket Province

Abstract

     This study was survey research. The objectives were to assess competency and identify factors that can predict the core competency of professional nurses in the emergency department in Sisaket Province. Purposive sampling was used to select 167 professional nurses working in the emergency departments of 19 government hospitals. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researcher with a reliability of .976. Data were analyzed to determine factors that can predict the competency of emergency nurses using Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis.

     The study found that, the majority of the sample were female with an average age of 39.25 years. The average length of government service was 17.74 years. Most worked at F1-level hospitals, accounting for 52.7%. The majority held a bachelor’s degree and had completed a preceptor training course, accounting for 74.3%. The average duration of work in the emergency department was 13.59 years. Most nurses had a moderate level of self-perceived competency, accounting for 64.7% (mean=50.43, S.D.=5.11). Overall, the competency of professional nurses in the emergency department was mostly at a moderate level, 65.3%. Factors significantly correlated with self-perceived competency of emergency nurses at the 0.01 level were: age, length of government service, duration of work in the emergency department, hospital size, training, and self-perceived competency. The factors predicting  competency of emergency nurses were self-efficacy, duration of work in the ER, and education level. These factors explained 80.7% of the variance in competency.