Measuring competence, self-reported competence and self-efficacy in pre-registration students.

AIM: To measure competence, self-reported competence and self-efficacy; explore any differences between cohorts and student entry criteria; and explore the relationship between competence, self-reported competence, support and self-efficacy.

METHOD: All students undertook a three-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and had previously completed a questionnaire, which included measures of self-reported competence, support and self-efficacy. The performance of two single year cohorts enabled measurement of competence development and progression.

RESULTS: Students were competent in the core generalist skills of communication and hand decontamination but demonstrated low levels of numeracy.

CONCLUSION: Doubts are raised about the explanatory value or practical use of social cognitive theory in pre-registration curricula and questions are raised about the value of self-reported competence. This has implications for nursing and midwifery curricula, which emphasise the importance of self-assessment.