Competency Gap Analysis of Nursing Professional (Ners) Graduates and Hospital Labor Market Demands in North Sumatra: A Comparative Study of Islamic Hospital Malahayati and Advent General Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31004/joecy.v6i1.8641Keywords:
Nursing Competency; Workforce Gap Analysis; Professional Education; Hospital Labor Market; Mixed Methods ResearchAbstract
Background and Purpose: The mismatch between nursing professional (Ners) graduates' competencies and hospital labor market demands remains a critical challenge in Indonesian healthcare workforce development. This study aimed to analyze the competency gap between Ners graduates and the labor market requirements of hospitals in North Sumatra, with particular focus on a comparative evaluation between Islamic Hospital Malahayati (RSI Malahayati) and Advent General Hospital (RSUA) in Medan.
Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative phase involved 142 newly recruited nurses and 28 nurse managers from both hospitals, using a validated competency assessment questionnaire. The qualitative phase comprised 18 in-depth interviews with purposively selected nursing directors, head nurses, and recent Ners graduates. Data integration was performed using joint display analysis.
Results: Significant competency gaps were identified in clinical decision-making (mean gap score = 1.84, p < 0.001), interprofessional collaboration (mean gap score = 1.62, p < 0.001), and digital health literacy (mean gap score = 2.11, p < 0.001). RSI Malahayati graduates demonstrated higher proficiency in spiritual and cultural care competencies, while RSUA required stronger competencies in evidence-based practice. Qualitative themes revealed systemic disconnects between academic curricula and clinical practice expectations.
Conclusion: Substantial competency gaps exist between Ners graduates and hospital labor market demands in North Sumatra. Collaborative curriculum reform between nursing education institutions and hospitals is urgently needed to align graduate competencies with evolving healthcare service requirements.
References
Ahmad, Z., Rashid, A., & Karim, M. H. A. (2021). Competency gaps between nursing education and clinical practice in Malaysian hospitals: A cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing, 20(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00648-6
Becker, G. S. (1964). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. National Bureau of Economic Research.
BPS North Sumatra. (2022). North Sumatra in figures 2022. Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi Sumatera Utara.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dubois, D. D., & Rothwell, W. J. (2004). Competency-based human resource management. Davies-Black Publishing.
Harahap, R. A. (2022). Institutional culture and nursing practice in faith-based hospitals of North Sumatra: An ethnographic perspective. Journal of Indonesian Health Sciences, 14(3), 215-228. https://doi.org/10.21109/jihs.v14i3.4821
Harianto, A., Nursalam, N., & Sukartini, T. (2021). Clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice competencies among Indonesian nursing graduates: A systematic review. Jurnal Ners, 16(2), 89-101. https://doi.org/10.20473/jn.v16i2.27491
Malterud, K., Siersma, V. D., & Guassora, A. D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: Guided by information power. Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1753-1760. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315617444
Meretoja, R., Isoaho, H., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2004). Nurse competence scale: Development and psychometric testing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 47(2), 124-133. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03071.x
Miller, G. E. (1990). The assessment of clinical skills/competence/performance. Academic Medicine, 65(9 Suppl), S63-S67. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-199009000-00045
Ministry of Health of Indonesia. (2022). National health transformation agenda 2022-2026: Digital health transformation roadmap. Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia.
Nguyen, T. T., Le, A. V., & Pham, H. T. (2023). Digital health competency gaps among newly graduated nurses in Vietnam: Implications for nursing education reform. Nurse Education Today, 121, 105703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105703
Nursalam, N., Fibriansari, R. D., Yuwono, S. R., Hadi, M., Efendi, F., & Bushy, A. (2021). Development of an empowerment model for burnout syndrome and quality of nursing work life in Indonesia. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 8(2), 149-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2021.01.007
Pratiwi, H., Efendi, F., & Haryanto, J. (2023). Digital health literacy and competency readiness among Ners graduates in Indonesia: A mixed-methods study. Jurnal Pendidikan Keperawatan Indonesia, 9(1), 11-24. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpki.v9i1.45021
Reyes, J. M., & Santos, C. A. (2022). Theory-practice gap in nursing education in the Philippines: Perceptions of nurse educators and clinical supervisors. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 10(2), 55-63.
Simanjuntak, D. H., & Ginting, M. L. (2021). Hospital managers' perceptions of newly graduated nurse competencies in Medan: A qualitative study. Jurnal Keperawatan Sumatera Utara, 5(2), 45-58.
Srisuphan, W., Kunaviktikul, W., & Junprasert, S. (2022). Digital technology competency gap in nursing graduates: Evidence from Thai tertiary hospitals. Thai Journal of Nursing Research, 26(3), 178-191.
Widyawati, W., Nugroho, H. A., & Istanti, Y. P. (2022). Competency gap of nursing professional graduates in Indonesian hospitals: A quantitative study. Nurse Media Journal of Nursing, 12(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.14710/nmjn.v12i1.39562
World Health Organization. (2020). State of the world's nursing 2020: Investing in education, jobs and leadership. WHO Press. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003279
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rohmatun Nazilah, Willhelmina Wahara
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
