NURSEARCHER (Journal of Nursing & Midwifery Sciences)

The Role of Nursing Competencies in Ensuring Patient Safety: A Narrative Literature Review

2026-04-01T22:45:40+00:00

Safety and effective patient care revolve around nursing competence. Clinical competencies, critical thinking, communication, and ethical practice competencies are highly interconnected with the reduction of adverse events and increase in patient safety outcomes. To summarize the existing evidence on the core nursing competencies and their effect on patient safety and assess organizational, educational, and professional factors that determine core competence and safety behaviors. A narrative literature review was carried out with the help of electronic databases, such as PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar. Articles published since 2010 and up until 2024 were selected due to their relevance to nursing competencies and patient safety. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed articles that covered the topics of clinical competence, safety outcomes, and workplace environment. Narrative synthesis methodology implied that the included studies were read manually, the key ideas were systematized and synthesized and recurring patterns were identified, and sorted into the corresponding headings. Five major concepts emerged: (1) Core competencies reduce safety incidents, (2) Positive work environments enhance competence application, (3) Higher education and CPD improve safety practices, (4) Digital tools support safe care, and (5) Open attitudes foster safety reporting. Competence was also always associated with a decrease in adverse events, quality of care, and staff confidence. Patient safety lies in competence in nursing practice. An educator should develop their competency through educational reforms, conducive clinical settings, and continuous professional growth.

The Impact of Nurses in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion of Community People

2026-04-01T22:45:29+00:00

The role of nurses is not limited to clinical side only; they play a holistic role in health care setting in general and particularly in primary healthcare settings like early detection of diseases, patient health education, and health promotion. Nurses are the backbone and important pillar of primary healthcare settings, which play a crucial role in disease prevention in all area of health care setting, especially in chronic disease management.

Public health nurses are involved closely with patients and they work directly with individuals and families as well as communities, as a result, early detection and intervention can improved health outcomes in communities.

Nurses play a great role in community health setting when it is research base rational. According to WHO-2022, over 27 million nurses constitute approximately 59% of health professionals and serve as the bridge between healthcare systems and communities. So, the nurses must be involved as a major stake-holder in health care setting in Pakistan.

In today's world the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) emerging as the leading causes of worldwide morbidity and mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the percentage of NCDs for all types of mortality in the world is about 74%, with heart diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, and diabetes representing the greatest burden. The health professionals, policy makers and expert know that the priority from curation is shift toward prevention and early detection and intervention, as growing evidence reveals that preventive strategies play significantly better health outcomes as compared to curation.

According to the Global Status Report-2023 of World Health Organization on NCDs a critical implementation gap was identified that only 50% of member state have a multisectoral preventive policy for NCDs in their operational programs. It shows that how governments are serious in their primary health care in community level which is directly related to health inequities.

This gap is clearly identified in COVID-19 pandemic that preventive services is so much important which was not present especially in rural areas and directly affect the health of community people. Government must strengthen the primary health care by upgrading the existing structure and create the position for community health nurses in Pakistan.

Readiness and response to all type of disasters are key components of public health promotion and interventions. Public health Nurses are often the first responders to disasters and catastrophes, and they play a major role in keeping the public safe and healthy, during this type of situation. They can contribute in organizing medical care and give individuals care as well as basic necessities like food, drink, and shelter to needy people and lesson their health problems.

Nurse-led preventive interventions and programs have a significant role in primary health care, but unfortunately in Pakistan it is not exist. Through these initiative health behaviors and preventive services utilization can be improved. Nurses can work and lead multidisciplinary teams in different health care setting and communities. Nurse-led initiatives reduce hospital admissions and improve chronic disease management especially in communities.

The National Academy of Medicine (2023) in its report that "The Future of Nursing 2030" identifies "unleashing nurse-led prevention" as a serious priority, because the current healthcare systems is mostly rewarding the curative and treatment base services in term of money and no any incentive for preventive services. For attraction the preventive services must also be rewarded.

In conclusion, it is imperative to move from theoretical potential of nursing in preventive medicine into measurable, scalable, and sustainable improvements in community health services through the leadership of nurses. Strengthening the Nurse-led preventive practices can enhance the health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. For a successful heath care setting and sustainable improvement, it is suggested to contribute to a truly preventive, person-centered, and equitable healthcare systems in Pakistan.

Effectiveness of Objective Structured Clinical Examination Training Related to Attitude and Satisfaction Level among Nursing Faculty Members

2026-04-01T22:45:18+00:00

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a standardized method used to objectively assess nurses’ clinical competencies through simulated stations that evaluate skills such as communication, history-taking, physical examination, and clinical procedures. Objectives: To determine the effects of OSCE training related to attitude and satisfaction level among nursing faculty members. Methods: The study design was a pre- and post-quasi-experimental study without a control group. 56 participants were recruited through a purposive sampling technique from six private nursing institutes over three months, from June to August 2023. Attitude level was measured on a valid and reliable Likert scale consisting of 18 questions, and satisfaction level was measured on a valid and reliable Likert scale consisting of 30 questions. Data were analyzed through SPSS version 24.0. Paired t-test was applied to compare pre- and post-mean differences, chi-square test for assessing the association among demographic variables, and ANOVA was utilized to compare the institutes. Results: Out of the 56 participants, 36 were male, and 20 were female. After the intervention, significant mean differences were seen in both attitude and satisfaction levels, with a mean difference of 46.45 ± 6.798 to 80 ± 6.048 for the attitude level at (p<0.001) and 78.88 ± 10.364 to 134.43 ± 11.483 for the satisfaction level at (p<0.001). Conclusions: The effectiveness of OSCE training is found to be significant among faculty members related to attitude and satisfaction level.

Association of Classroom Anxiety with Age, Gender, and Academic Year among Nursing Students in Swat

2026-04-03T22:46:01+00:00

Among nursing students, classroom anxiety is a common psychological issue that can negatively impact both academic achievement and the learning process as a whole. Developing successful educational support programs requires an understanding of the relationship between anxiety and demographic characteristics. Objectives: To evaluate nursing students' levels of classroom anxiety and investigate its relationship to a few demographic factors, such as age, academic year, and gender. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among nursing students in Swat utilizing a standardized questionnaire. 146 participants gave complete replies and were included in the analysis. Four levels of anxiety were identified: typical, mild to moderate, severe, and extreme. SPSS version 27.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: Classroom anxiety levels and academic year were found to be statistically significantly correlated ( p=0.013). Age (p=0.351) and gender ( p=0.968) did not, however, show any significant correlations. Conclusions: Mild to moderate anxiety was the most often stated degree among individuals. Classroom anxiety is frequent among nursing students and changes significantly between academic years, whereas age and gender do not appear to be relevant variables. These findings underline the need for academic-year-specific treatments to attenuate anxiety and encourage psychological well-being within the nursing curriculum.

Relationship Between Assertiveness and Stress Levels among Nurses in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

2026-04-03T22:46:13+00:00

Nursing is widely known as one of the most stressful occupations in the world due to work and emotional overloads, and strict hierarchical workplace cultures. Organizational support is also minimal in Pakistan, which increases stress among nurses. Assertiveness, a necessary communication skill in successful nursing practice, is commonly thought to minimize stress; however, in hierarchical environments, it may increase stress. Objectives: To identify the association between assertive behavior and perceived stress among Pakistani nurses and to determine socio-demographic and professional determinants of stress. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study design was adopted. A total of 106 registered nurses from public and private hospitals in Pakistan were included using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of the Assertiveness Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). SPSS version 25.0 was used for analysis, including descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and one-way ANOVA. Results: Results showed a weak yet significant positive correlation between assertiveness and stress (r = 0.19, p=0.040), indicating that higher assertiveness is associated with higher stress levels. Assertiveness explained 3.7% of perceived stress. Employment status was also a significant factor (p = 0.04), while other variables were not significant. Conclusions: Assertiveness has a context-dependent impact on stress. Future interventions should combine assertiveness training with stress management and institutional support to improve nurses’ well-being.

Awareness and Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence-Generated Study Aids Among Nursing Students in Public and Private Nursing Colleges of Mirpurkhas, Sindh, Pakistan

2026-04-06T22:49:58+00:00

Artificial intelligence has swiftly become an important technological advancement in healthcare. Chatbots and other digital learning platforms are increasingly being used to support learning, particularly in relation to clinical decision-making and care delivery processes. Objectives: To assess and describe nursing students' level of awareness and attitudes toward AI-generated study aids at selected public and private colleges of Mirpurkhas. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional design was conducted from September 2025 to December 2025. A total of 210 participants were selected through a stratified random sampling, data were collected via a structured online questionnaire distributed through Google Forms, and SPSS version 27.0 was used for analyzing data in frequency, percentages, mean, and SD while Mann-Whitney test applied to compare total awareness and attitude scores and Spearman’s rank correlation used strength of association between awareness and attitude scores. Results: Out of 210 participants, 56.7% identified as female, and 73.8% were aged 18 to 22. Nursing students had mean scores of 50.39 for awareness and 25.61 for attitudes toward AI-generated study aids, and the total score was 85, which shows a good level of awareness and favorable attitudes. A Spearman’s correlation (rₛ = 0.663, p<0.001) showed a strong positive relationship between awareness and attitude scores. Conclusion: In order to encourage the safe, efficient, and responsible use of AI in both public and private nursing settings, nursing programs must incorporate structured AI education and ethics training. The study concludes that nursing students tend to have a solid understanding and positive attitudes towards AI-generated study aids.

Pre-Operative Anxiety Assessment among Patients Undergoing Craniotomy Procedure

2026-04-07T22:50:14+00:00

Patients undergoing craniotomy surgery often develop preoperative anxiety, a severe psychological issue that affects both the surgical experience and after healing. This worry is made worse by the intrusive nature of the procedure, which involves opening the skull and adjusting the brain. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and severity of preoperative anxiety in patients having craniotomies and to look into how it relates to certain clinical and demographic characteristics. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted in the neurosurgery wards of Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayat Abad Medical Complex in Peshawar. 160 individuals undergoing craniotomies were selected based on predefined criteria. Preoperative anxiety was measured using the 15-item Likert-scale-based Surgical Anxiety Questionnaire. Results: Patients reported a considerable prevalence of moderate to severe preoperative anxiety across all questionnaire domains. Anticipated postoperative pain (83.8%), loss of control over the procedure or Anesthesia (88.1%), danger of hospital-acquired infection (91.9%), failure to awaken from Anesthesia (91.9%), and financial load (86.9%) were the most common concerns. Fear of not fully recovering at release (83.1%), finding new health issues (80%), and receiving injections or vascular access (78.1%) were other significant concerns. Concerns regarding wound-related problems (73.7%), intraoperative awareness (71.9%), inadequate postoperative social support (78.1%), and medical errors (71.9%) were also mentioned. 66.2% of patients reported feeling uncertain about going back to their regular lives. Conclusions: Patients undergoing craniotomies frequently experience preoperative anxiety. To enhance patient care and results, early detection and psychological interventions are crucial.

Adjustment Challenges among Newly Recruited Nurses and Their Impact on Patient Safety and Professional Identity in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2026-04-17T10:44:19+00:00

In healthcare settings, nurse workload has a significant impact on patient safety and care quality, especially in tertiary care hospitals. An excessivea workload may lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and worse patient outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate how the workload of nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, relates to patient safety and treatment quality. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study approach was used. A systematic questionnaire was used to gather information from registered nurses employed in several departments of a tertiary care hospital. Burnout level and care quality were assessed using the Malachi Burnout Inventory (MBI)and the modified quality of care assessment tool. The method of convenience sampling was used. SPSS version 26.0 was used for data analysis, and associations between variables were found using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A large percentage of nurses had moderate to high workloads, which were strongly linked to higher levels of burnout. Patient safety and care quality were inversely associated with increased workload. Overall, patient outcomes were impacted by nurses who reported a higher level of burnout because they were less productive and more likely to make mistakes. Conclusions: burnout, patient safety, and care quality are all significantly impacted by nurses' workload. Improving healthcare outcomes requires addressing workforce shortages, putting task management ideas into practice, and encouraging supportive work environments.