Experiential-based competencies in community health practice among nursing students

The researchers aim to determine the experiential-based competencies in community health practice among the third year and fourth year nursing students at St. Mary’s College of Baliuag, Inc. (SMCB). Based on the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses Dimensions Model, it is believed that practicing nursing has a seven-dimensional competency model that indicates the need for nurses to attain competencies in every category of the competency model. This includes clinical care, legal/ethical practice, critical thinking/research aptitude, professional development, teaching-coaching, interpersonal relationship, and leadership. In community health nursing, it is important for nurses to have competencies as the practice is known to be highly flexible and requires for them to act multiple roles as community health nurses. The researchers involved the third and fourth year SMCB nursing students as respondents with reference to the related learning experience in community health nursing. This study utilized descriptive qualitative research design, and the data gathered utilized a validated research instrument in the form of an interview-based questionnaire. The researchers found out that the respondents obtained multiple competencies in all seven dimensions corresponding to the seven-dimensional competency model. This presents the fact that community health nursing related learning experience provides a substantial opportunity for student nurses to obtain nursing competencies as stipulated in the nursing curriculum and practice.