Defining Foundational Competence for Prelicensure and Graduate Nursing Students: A Concept Analysis and Conceptual Model.

AIM: To define the concept of foundational competence as it pertains to prelicensure and graduate nursing students during their educational program, thereby informing pedagogical and assessment practices.

BACKGROUND: Competence has many definitions and uses, however a lack of consensus of a clear and useful definition in nursing persists. Without shared language, competence remains open for interpretation across and among groups and impedes the ability to teach and assess it in a competency-based education framework.

METHOD: Using the Walker & Avant method of concept analysis, literature was reviewed and synthesized to define and explain the concept of foundational competence in nursing using evidence and practice from various disciplines.

FINDINGS: Antecedents, attributes, empirical referents and consequences of foundational competence were identified.

DISCUSSION: The components and uses of the concept of foundational competence are presented to guide pedagogical and assessment practices necessary for competency-based education in nursing.