For any newly licensed registered nurse about to embark on her nursing career, the concept of competence is of great personal and professional significance. Questions abound regarding what it means to be a competent nurse and how competence is measured. Nursing competency is defined by the National Council for State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) as the “application of knowledge, interpersonal decision-making and psychomotor skills expected for the practice role within the context of public health.” (NCSBN, 2005, p. 1) Continuing competency is not new to healthcare, nor is it new to the nursing profession. Continuing competence is defined as “the ongoing commitment of a registered nurse to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills and judgment with the attitudes, values and beliefs required to practice safely, effectively and ethically in a designated role and setting”
