Abstract

Background and aim:
Critical care nursing competency is essential for delivering safe and effective care to critically ill patients. Despite global attention to critical care nurse (CCN) competencies, region-specific assessments in Saudi Arabia, particularly in Najran, remain limited. This study aimed to assess the self-reported competency levels of CCNs in Najran City Hospitals and examine the relationship between their competencies and sociodemographic characteristics.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey of 158 CCNs across four Najran hospitals was conducted using a convenience sampling approach. Sample size was determined using the Raosoft online sample calculator; a sample size of 179 CCNs was required from a population of 334 (50% response rate, 95% power, 5% margin of error). The survey was completed by 158 nurses, with a response rate of 88.26%. Data were collected using the validated Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale-1 (ICCN-CS-1), which evaluates four domains: knowledge, skills, attitude/values, and experience. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23, with descriptive statistics summarizing participant characteristics and chi-square tests employed to examine associations between categorical variables.
Results:
More than half of the nurses (55.7%) demonstrated excellent overall competency, with the highest scores in knowledge (63.3%), experience (59.5%), and attitude (58.9%) domains. The skills domain showed the lowest percentage of excellence (48.1%). Competency level was significantly associated with marital status (p = 0.005) and attendance at patient safety training (p = 0.008), whereas age and experience were not significantly associated with both.
Conclusion:
The results indicated that the CCNs who participated in the study have a high overall competency, knowledge-based gaps remain. Although these gaps do not appear to critically affect current clinical practice or demand immediate intervention, they highlight opportunities for improvement. These findings emphasize the need for continuous theoretical reinforcement, structured clinical mentoring, and simulation-based training to ensure sustained excellence in critical care.

Key words: Critical care nursing, competency, self-assessment, patient safety, Saudi Arabia