ArticleBMC nursing2026
Barriers and facilitators of clinical competency acquisition and maintenance among nurses in Ghana: a mixed methods systematic review.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundClinical competency is essential for safe, high-quality nursing care, yet its acquisition and sustained maintenance remain challenging in Ghana due to fragmented Continuing Professional Development systems, theory-practice gaps, and resource constraints. Evidence on how nurses in Ghana develop and maintain competence has been scattered and insufficiently synthesized. Therefore, this study synthesized evidence on the barriers and facilitators to clinical competency acquisition and maintenance among nurses in Ghana.
methodsWe conducted a convergent integrated mixed-methods systematic review following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted across MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase, covering publications from 2000 to 2026. Twelve eligible empirical studies involving nurses, midwives, and nurse educators in Ghana were included. Data were synthesized narratively, guided by Benner's Novice-to-Expert Model and Situated Learning Theory.
resultsOut of the 379 articles retrieved, 12 studies comprising 2,662 participants were included in this review. The most frequently reported barriers included inadequate structured clinical training, workforce shortages, resource constraints, limited managerial support, and inconsistent competency assessment. Key facilitators included structured mentorship and preceptorship programs, continuous professional development, supportive leadership, competency-based curricula, and positive workplace learning environments.
conclusionNurses in Ghana face multilevel, system-driven challenges in acquiring and sustaining clinical competence. The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana should strengthen competency-based regulation by institutionalizing structured mentorship and preceptorship programs, competency validation, and nationally coordinated continuing professional development. Implementing these reforms is essential to developing a competent, resilient, and practice-ready nursing workforce in Ghana and other resource-constrained settings.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.