Hospital-Based Trained Nurses Perception of Baccalaureate Nurses Competence at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study addressed the perception of nurses about the newly qualified baccalaureate nurses’ competency in Jos University Teaching Hospital. The motivation for the study arose as a result of the consistent and repeated stereotypes held by hospital-based trained nurses about University trained nurses’ technical competencies. The available evidence was not sufficient to establish this position hence the need to carry out a study on hospital-based nurses’ perception. The study was quantitative, cross-sectional and non-experimental in nature. The setting of the study was Jos University Teaching Hospital. Approval from the gate keepers was sought, and the informed consent of the respondents was equally obtained. Questionnaire was used to elicit the responses of the study population Convenience sampling approach was employed in distributing the copies of the questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using frequencies and percentages. Results showed that majority (69.3%) of the respondents affirmed the competencies of the baccalaureate nurses. Non-conducive work environment, arrogance were implicated as perceived factors that could weigh against their competencies while greater consensus was achieved as to the positive influence of nature of their training, duration of the training and autonomy.