Nurse Educators’ Self-Reported Level of Teaching Competenceand Its Correlation with Sociodemographic, Professional,Training and Research Variables: A Cross-SectionalMulticentre Study

Abstract

Background: Nurses’ teaching skills in the clinical setting are crucial to ensuring that students receive high-quality training. Despite the growing importance of competency frameworks, there is little research on the relationship between nurses’ teaching competence and sociodemographic, professional, training, and research variables.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study conducted at nine hospitals linked to the clinical placement subjects of the Bachelor of Nursing of the University of Barcelona. The study population comprised all nurses directly involved in clinical teaching. Participants’ level of self-reported teaching competence was evaluated using the Spanish version of the Capabilities of Nurse Educators (S-CONE) questionnaire, and the sociodemographic, professional, and academic variables were collected in an ad hoc questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and linear and logistic regression models were used to analyse the associations between the S-CONE total score and the variables collected. Results: The mean age of the participants (n = 596) was 41.9 years (standard deviation: 8.82), and 85.6% of them were women (n = 510). The overall mean S-CONE score was 3.81 (SD: 0.73). Higher scores were observed in those with advanced academic degrees, formal teacher training, and participation in academic activities. Professionals with mixed roles (clinical mentor and academic tutor) self-reported significantly higher competence levels. Multivariate analyses identified participation in conferences, tutoring of undergraduate theses, and involvement in research or development projects as the main predictors of higher teaching competence as measured by the S-CONE questionnaire. The lowest-scoring factor was research and evidence, which points to a potential area for improvement. No significant associations were found with age, sex, or years of clinical experience. Conclusions: Participants had a high self-reported level of teaching competence and rated themselves as competent overall, especially in professional practice and curriculum design. However, we identified areas for improvement related to pedagogical innovation and the use of evidence. The findings reinforce the importance of professional development and academic involvement to strengthen teacher competence.