Self-perceived competence of nurses working in digestive endoscopy units: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Key Takeaways for GI Nurses

• This nationwide survey provides valuable insights into how endoscopy nurses perceive their own clinical competence across different skills and procedures, offering a benchmark for self-assessment
• Understanding gaps between perceived competence and actual performance can help identify targeted education and training needs within endoscopy units
• Self-assessment data can inform development of standardized competency frameworks and continuing education programs specific to digestive endoscopy nursing practice
• The findings may highlight variations in confidence levels across different endoscopic procedures, helping prioritize areas for skills development and mentorship programs

Clinical Relevance

Self-perceived competence serves as a critical indicator of nursing confidence and readiness to perform complex endoscopic procedures safely and effectively. In digestive endoscopy units, where nurses must master technical skills ranging from equipment preparation and medication administration to patient monitoring and post-procedure care, understanding how nurses view their own capabilities directly impacts patient safety outcomes. When nurses accurately assess their competence levels, they are more likely to seek appropriate supervision, pursue additional training, or request assistance when needed during challenging cases.

The nationwide scope of this survey provides endoscopy unit managers and clinical educators with valuable data to benchmark their teams' self-assessed competence against national standards. This information can drive evidence-based decisions about staffing assignments, orientation programs, and ongoing professional development initiatives. Units can use these findings to identify whether their nurses' self-perceptions align with observed performance, potentially revealing overconfidence that could compromise patient safety or underconfidence that may limit professional growth and unit efficiency.

From an operational perspective, nurses with appropriate self-awareness of their competence levels contribute to more effective team dynamics and resource allocation within busy endoscopy suites. When nurses can accurately gauge their abilities across different procedures—whether routine colonoscopies, complex ERCP cases, or emergency endoscopic interventions—unit coordinators can make informed decisions about case assignments and ensure appropriate skill mix for optimal patient care delivery.

Bottom Line

This nationwide survey of endoscopy nurses' self-perceived competence provides essential data that can help individual nurses, unit managers, and healthcare organizations better understand confidence levels across digestive endoscopy procedures, ultimately supporting the development of targeted education programs and competency-based practice standards that enhance both patient safety and professional development in GI nursing practice.