Development of clinical competencies in military nursing education from undergraduate training at the National Autonomous University of Honduras

Abstract

Objective: To analyze, from theoretical and empirical perspectives, the process of developing clinical competencies in military nursing education within the university training at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-method design was implemented, with an initial phase of theoretical-documentary analysis of the curriculum and syllabi, followed by a cross-sectional study with 60 graduate nurses through simple random sampling. The "Questionnaire on Perception of Clinical Competence Development in Military Nursing" was applied, and descriptive and inferential analyses were performed with SPSS v25. Results: Documentary analysis revealed a discrepancy between the formal definition of competencies and evaluation instruments. Empirical data showed that technical competencies were the highest rated (M=4.25, SD=0.52), while military leadership received the lowest score (M=3.10, SD=0.84), with statistically significant differences (p<0.01). The perception of military leadership varied significantly according to professional experience (F(2,57)=4.85, p=0.011). Conclusion: There is a critical gap between curricular design and its practical implementation, particularly in the evaluation of specific transversal competencies in the military field, which demands a review of pedagogical strategies and greater articulation with real military scenarios.