Graduating nursing students’ competence in nursing patients with acute coronary syndrome

Abstract

<p><strong>Aim:</strong> To describe graduating nursing students’ competence based on their knowledge in the nursing of a patient with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and their self-assessed nurse competence.</p><p><strong>Design:</strong> A cross-sectional survey.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The data were collected in 2018-2019 using an ACS test developed for this study and the Nurse Competence Scale. The sample contained 47 graduating nursing students. The statistical analysis methods were used.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Only 48.9% (n=23) of the students scored an accepted level of knowledge in the nursing of a patient with ACS, and a little over half (51.1%; n=24) failed the ACS test. Graduating nursing students’ self-assessed nurse competence was on a good level (69.7, VAS 0–100). No statistically significant differences in nurse competence assessments occurred between students who passed the ACS test and those who failed it.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Graduating nursing students have a good level of nurse competence, while their knowledge in the nursing of a patient with ACS was poor. It is important to emphasize the nursing of a patient with ACS in nursing education and to pay especially attention to the interpretation of the patient's electrocardiogram findings.</p>