Self-assessment is widely used to assess competence in
health care, although there is evidence of the weaknesses of
self-assessment in the literature. In general, the process of
self-assessment has been found to stimulate students’ deep-level
learning and problem-solving skills. Nursing students need to develop
their self-assessment skills in order to identify their learning and
ensure up-to-date outcomes and safe practice. This study aims to assess
the congruence between graduating nursing students’ self-assessment and
their mentors’ assessments concerning nurse competence with particular
focus on nursing skills.

The data were collected in
November–December 2011 in the last week of final clinical placement of
nurse education. Completed questionnaires were received from 60 students
and 50 mentors. From these, 42 student–mentor pairs were matched for
the sample of this study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were
used in the data analysis.

Comparisons between the
assessments showed that students assessed their nurse competence as
higher than their mentors (VAS 64.5 ± 12.2 vs. 56.7 ± 19.0). In nursing
skills, the assessments were closer to each other (VAS 75.4 ± 12.8 vs.
72.2 ± 16.7); however, students’ assessments still remained higher than
those of mentors’. No congruent assessments were found between students
and mentors.

Compared to mentors’ assessments,
students overestimated their nurse competence. However, the results may
be due to different understanding of nurse competence, and more research
is needed on students’ self-assessment by comparing students’
assessments with those of peers, mentors and/or educators or knowledge
tests. Nursing students should practise self-assessment during their
nurse education. Mentors would also benefit practising in assessing
students’ nurse competence.