Nursing competency of clinical nurses: Focusing on the reform of the 4-year college nursing program

Purpose: This study investigated the nursing competency of graduates of 4-year college nursing programs following curriculum reforms.Methods: Participants were nurses with clinical experience ranging from six months to three years at tertiary and general hospitals. Proportional quota sampling was performed based on region and hospital type. Nursing competency among college graduates was examined using university graduates as the reference group; nursing managers evaluated the competencies of both groups.Results: First, the overall nursing competencies of college graduates (4.03±0.49) and university graduates (3.97±0.49) did not differ significantly (t=1.43, p=.154). Second, nursing managers’ evaluations indicated comparable nursing competencies of graduates from colleges (3.68±0.72) and university (3.54±0.64) (t=1.87, p=.062).Conclusion: These results suggest that the reform of the 4-year nursing program at colleges successfully achieved its educational goals, equivalent to university training programs. These findings reflect positive educational outcomes achieved through changes in the academic system.