Jazzyl Keth S.

Tongab
BSN IV-A
A Reflection Paper on National Nursing Core Standards

Professional competence is a fundamental requirement in nursing practice. In line with this

we must reflect on our function as a future nurse. We realize the undeniable fact that we, nurses

play a crucial role in the delivery of health care services. The very lives of people are at stake and

so one must practice competently. As Axley (2008) noted, :”competency is clearly more than the

mere attainment of skills as it also involves qualities such as attitudes, motives, personal

insightfulness, interpretative ability and self-assessment”. Consequences of having competency

includes safety of patients, high standard of patient care application of core knowledge, and

internal motivation for continued care. Furthermore, the absence of competency contributes to

serious medical errors, poor patient outcomes, and inability to make sound decisions.

In the Philippines, nurse’s competence must be demonstrated in accordance to the eleven

core competency standards for nursing practice as follows; safe and quality nursing care,

management of resources and environment, health education, legal responsibility, ethno-moral

responsibility, personal and professional development, quality improvement, research, record

management, communication, and collaboration and teamwork (Association of Deans of the

Philippines Colleges of Nursing 2009). The creation of this core of standards for nursing practice

served as a unifying framework for nursing education, regulation and practice in the Philippines.

Thus, true professional nursing competence requires accumulation of knowledge and skills. It also

entails understanding cultural diversity and how it affects the kind of care that we must provide.

Competence is also equated with genuine care.

 The National Nursing Core Competency Standards are crucial in directing the nurses must

think and act. It helps us to become even better. These competence standards may be idealistic

but it is certainly realistic and attainable if only we, nurses give one of their time reflecting on their

own practice and in trying to assimilate through actions these competency standards.