Patient’s Voices on Nurse Competence. Are we there?

Nurse competence is discussed and assessed globally and the importance of nurse competence plays a significant role in providing quality healthcare to the patients and the development of professional values of nurses. According to the National League for Nursing (2008), the four main areas of nurse competence are professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, nursing practice and decision making and leadership, management and team working. Nevertheless, patients' view and voices play vital importance in determining the standard and criteria of nurse competence which should not be neglected as they are receiver and end-user of quality healthcare services. This paper evaluated the patient's perception on the main four areas of nurse competence. It also concluded that impact of the patient's view on nurse competence improve health condition, establish a therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient and lastly promote the development of professionalism. Nurse competences also improve and enhance the role of nurses' as a caregiver, communicator and health promoter.