Clinical competence - analysis of an accepted notion in contemporary nursing

The proposed research aims to explore and describe the negotiations that occur in clinical nursing to determine 'competence'. Theories of identity, classification, and governance will be used to inform the thesis that: The meaning of competence is not static; it is constandly shifting through negotiation and reification (momentary stability) in day-to-day clinical practice. Evidence from a range of sources will be analysed and an interpretive approach will be used to explain the ways that competence is negotiated in the clinical setting, with a view to improving nursing practice