Graduating nursing students' basic competence in intensive and critical care nursing

Aims and objectivesTo describe and evaluate the basic competence of graduating nursing students in intensive and critical care nursing.BackgroundIntensive and critical care nursing is focused on severely ill patients who benefit from the attention of skilled personnel. More intensive and critical care nurses are needed in Europe. Critical care nursing education is generally postqualification education that builds upon initial generalist nursing education. However, in Europe, new graduates practise in intensive care units. Empirical research on nursing students' competence in intensive and critical care nursing is scarce.DesignA cross‐sectional survey design.MethodsA basic competence scale (Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale, version 1) and a knowledge test (Basic Knowledge Assessment Tool, version 7) were employed among graduating nursing students (n = 139).ResultsSixty‐nine per cent of the students self‐rated their basic competence as good. No association between self‐assessed Intensive and Critical Care Nursing‐1 and the results of the Basic Knowledge Assessment Tool‐7 was found. The strongest factor explaining the students' conception of their competence was th