Exploring the core competencies of clinical nurses in Chinese tertiary hospitals: a qualitative content analysis

AbstractBackground: With the changes in social and medical environments and people's health needs, the nursing core competency should be updated and developed in a timely manner. This study aimed to identify the core competencies of nurses in Chinese tertiary hospitals under the new health development strategy.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted through qualitative content analysis. A purposive sample of 20 nurses and nursing managers from tertiary hospitals in China were interviewed.Results: Data analysis revealed 27 competencies, which were grouped into three major categories according to the Onion Model. These categories were motivation and traits (responsibility, enterprise, etc.), professional philosophy and values (professionalism, career perception, etc.), and knowledge and skills (clinical nursing competency, leadership and management competency, etc.).Conclusion: There is still a gap between the current core competencies of nurses in Chinese tertiary hospitals and the ideal, and there is still a need to continuously improve all competencies in the future to meet the needs of society and the people. Based on the results of each level of the Onion Model, it helps to understand nurses' competencies at different levels and provides guidance for core competency assessment and development.