Development of a competency assessment tool for clinical teaching in community nursing

OBJECTIVES: To develop and examine the content validity of a competency assessment tool for clinical teaching in community nursing, essential for high-quality nursing education, while addressing the lack of clarity and consistency in existing methods. METHODS: A qualitative, iterative methodological development and validation study was conducted with 10 clinical teachers. The process included: (1) identification of competency domains and competencies based on national nursing regulations and Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective (71 criteria); (2) refinement of the competency assessment criteria via focus groups (20 criteria); (3) development of a 5-point Likert scale with behavioural descriptors; and (4) creation of methodological guidelines for evaluators. RESULTS: The tool comprises 6 competency domains and 20 criteria, described across five performance levels (poor to excellent), considering performance quality, autonomy, and application in complex contexts. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument enhances fairness, consistency, and feedback, clarifies expectations, promotes student self-regulation, and provides a transparent tool for formative and summative assessment, with potential for adaptation in diverse community nursing settings involving individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. Implications for an International Audience: Although developed within a Portuguese educational context, the tool addresses competencies relevant to community nursing education internationally. Its structured competency domains and behavioural descriptors provide a framework that can be adapted to different educational and clinical contexts to support transparent, consistent, and development-oriented assessment of nursing students.