Clinical Competence on Patient Care Quality with Workplace Support as Mediator among Nurses

Nursing competence is fundamental to ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and high- quality care. However, possessing clinical skills does not always guarantee quality outcomes, especially when influenced by organizational and environmental factors. This study aimed to assess the level of competence of nurses, evaluate the perceived quality of nursing care, examine the extent of workplace support, and determine the relationship among these variables, including the potential mediating role of workplace support. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, involving nurses from a tertiary hospital. Standardized tools were used to measure nurse competence across multiple domains, quality of care, and workplace support. Data were collected through stratified random sampling and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and mediation analysis. Nurses perceived themselves as very competent, especially in teaching- coaching, managing situations, and diagnostic functions. However, the quality of nursing care they provided was rated as fair. No significant relationship was found between overall competence and quality of care. Although workplace support had a significant direct effect on quality of care, it did not significantly mediate the relationship between competence and care quality. These findings suggest that high competence alone is not enough to ensure excellent care outcomes without supportive systems in place. The results align with Dee Fink’s Competence Theory, Eisenberger’s Organizational Support Theory, and Lee Schmidt’s Quality of Nursing Care Model, emphasizing the need for enabling environments that allow competence to be fully actualized in practice.