Assessment of competence in clinical practice: a phenomenological approach.

Using a phenomenological approach, this study explores the different dimensions of student nurse assessment in clinical practice from the perspective of 10 experienced practitioners. Phenomenology, one of the various types of qualitative research methods, is used to discover and understand the meaning of human life experiences through an analysis of the subjects' descriptions of situations. It is therefore of particular value when addressing the questions posed in the present study: (a) what attributes characterize competence and non-competence in learner nurses, (b) how they recognize these attributes in practice, and (c) how they measure competence at different levels of preparation. Rather than provide answers, the phenomenologist explores the meaning of the language used in determining competence in practice. Through this contribution to the understanding of the notion of competence and its measurement by these experienced practitioners, it may be possible in some way to unravel the confusion that surrounds the meaning of competence represented in the literature. It is hoped that, through the discovery of the lived world of these clinicians, others may be better facilitated for and within their role as assessors in the future.