Objective To evaluate the level of nursing competence of clinical nurses and determine its influencing factors so as to provide scientific information for nursing human resource management. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1 042 nurses from 8 hospitals by using the Nursing Competence Scale. Results The mean score of nursing competence was 73.99±9.81. Factors influencing the nursing competence included personal interest in nursing, working experience, working position, educational background, hospital level, teaching activities and marital status. Conclusion The surveyed clinical nurses have been equipped with basic nursing competence, however, still needs to be improved. The nursing human resource management should be based on nurses’ competence.
