The majority of care-dependent persons living in nursing homes have mobility impairment affecting the physical, psychological, and social aspects of the persons’ lives. Therefore, nursing staff needs competence to provide good mobility enhancing care.

This study assesses the self-reported and observed competence of nursing home staff in mobility care based on Kinaesthetics in order to increase attention about nursing staff’s impact on nursing home residents’ mobility.

A cross-sectional study design involving a survey and an observational study was employed. Survey data were collected using the Kinaesthetics Competence Self-Evaluation (KCSE) scale. For the observational study, data were collected with a video camera and rated using the Kinaesthetics Competence Observation (KCO) instrument. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation methods and a generalised linear model.

The majority of survey participants (n = 180) indicated their competence in mobility care based on Kinaesthetics as very good (mean score 13, SD 1.44, on a scale from 4 to 16). The observed competence of nursing staff (n = 40) was good (mean score 10.8, SD 2.44, out of a possible score from 4 to 16). Positive correlations were found between self-reported or observed competence in mobility care based on Kinaesthetics and employment rate, work experience in nursing home care and Kinaesthetics training.

A combined assessment of self-evaluation and observation is recommended in order to get a comprehensive picture of knowledge, skills, attitude and dynamic state of nursing staffs’ competence in mobility care based on Kinaesthetics.