AIM: To assess self-reported clinical competence and the need for further training among newly graduated registered nurses (NGRNs) working in Swedish acute care hospital settings.

BACKGROUND: NGRNs are expected to take full responsibility for patients' nursing care in an increasingly complex clinical context and professional nurses' clinical competence is critical in providing high quality and safe nursing care.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional design.

METHODS: Data were collected using the 50-item ProffNurse SAS II. A total of 85 NGRNs who had recently commenced working with direct patient care at three hospitals in central Sweden participated in the study. The response rate was 69%. The STROBE cross-sectional reporting guidelines was used.

RESULTS: The NGRNs assessed their clinical competence as being highest in areas relating to team collaboration and ethics and lowest in areas relating to professional development and direct clinical practice. The need for further training was greatest in areas such as direct clinical practice and patient safety and lowest in areas such as team collaborating and ethics.

CONCLUSION: The use of instruments to identify NGRNs' self-assessed clinical competence is of value when designing and evaluating introductory programs for NGRNs taking on positions in acute care hospital settings. The availability of experienced nurses from whom NGRNs can gain clinical competence and learn from is of importance, both from the perspective of the NGRNs themselves as well as patient safety.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: An understanding of NGRNs' clinical competence and their need for further training may assist in both planning and organizing nursing programs and in making clinical policy decisions when designing introduction programs in acute care settings.