Novice Perioperative Nurses' Perceptions of Nursing Competence and Strategies Used to Enhance Competence: A Phenomenographic Study

The development of novice perioperative nurse competence is vital for high-quality care in demanding, specialized health care environments. We used a qualitative phenomenographic approach to explore novice perioperative nurses' perceptions of competence and strategies to enhance it. We interviewed 10 novice nurses who worked in a Korean university hospital. We identified the following four descriptive categories concerning novice perioperative nurses' perceptions of nursing competence: recognize the priority of suitable alternatives in crisis situations, ensure patient safety by mitigating the risk associated with surgical procedures, align oneself for a collaborative role with the surgical team, and recognize one's role within the team framework. Five strategies emerged for enhancing competence: mindfulness to maintain resilience, internalize knowledge, adherence to fundamental principles in surgical nursing, focus on details to reduce errors, and mutually effective communication to ensure patient safety. These findings may aid educators when developing onboarding programs for novice perioperative nurses.