Use of the nurse professional competence scale in nursing education and research: A scoping review

Aim This scoping review aimed to map and analyse how the NPC Scale has been used in published research. Background Nursing competence is a key determinant of quality and safety in healthcare. The Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale has been increasingly used as a standardized instrument for self-reported nursing competence across educational and clinical contexts; however, its patterns of use have not yet been comprehensively synthesised. Design Scoping review. Methods A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. Multiple sources were searched without time limits. Empirical studies using the full and short version of the NPC Scale were included. Data were extracted descriptively and synthesised with respect to study design, populations, purposes of NPC use and scale versions. Results Sixty-one records were included. Most studies employed cross-sectional designs, while a smaller number used longitudinal or programme-evaluation approaches. The NPC Scale was most frequently applied for psychometric validation and cross-cultural adaptation, competence profiling in nursing education and examination of associations between self-reported competence and contextual variables. Nursing students and newly graduated nurses were the most commonly studied population; fewer studies focused on registered nurses in specialised or high-acuity settings. The short-form NPC Scale was used in most studies. Conclusion The NPC Scale is predominantly used as a cross-culturally adaptable and educationally oriented competence self-assessment tool. Although evidence from longitudinal and evaluative studies is emerging, further research is needed to explore self-reported competence development and transfer in specialised clinical environments.