A Comparative of the Clinical Competence of Community Service Practitioners: Degree and Diploma Nursing Programmes

The purpose of the study was to compare the perceptions of Community Service Practitioners (Degree versus Diploma) regarding their clinical competence in providing nursing care and to establish and compare the perceptions of Professional Nurses regarding the clinical competence of the Community Service Practitioners they supervise (Degree versus Diploma) in providing nursing care. The null hypothesis stated that there is no difference in the clinical competence of Community Service Practitioners who completed a Degree nursing programme and those who completed a Diploma nursing programme leading to registration as a Professional Nurse (R425).

A quantitative, comparative, descriptive, and cross-sectional design was used. A total of fifty-two (n=52) professional nurses and fifty-two (n=52) Community Service Practitioners who were purposively selected completed the questionnaire. A five-point Likert-scale questionnaire for the Professional Nurses supervising the Community Service Practitioners and a three-point Likert-scale questionnaire for the Community Service Practitioners was used. Data were organised and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 21.

The results of the study indicated that there is no difference in the clinical competence, which included knowledge, skills and attitude, of Community Service Practitioners who completed an undergraduate degree compared to those who completed a diploma.