International Perspectives on Nurse Professional Competence: First International NPC Workshop Brings Researchers Together

On 27 August 2026, the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Research Group hosted its First International NPC Workshop, bringing together researchers, educators, and clinicians to exchange knowledge and perspectives on professional competence in nursing. With contributions from China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Norway and Sweden, the workshop provided an international forum for discussing current research, future challenges, and opportunities for collaboration related to the NPC Scale.

In his opening address, Professor Jan Nilsson, President of the NPC Research Group, welcomed participants and presented the work and future direction of the research group. He emphasized the growing importance of professional competence in responding to global healthcare challenges, including workforce shortages, demographic changes, the increasing complexity of care, and growing demands related to patient safety. He also officially inaugurated the newly redesigned NPC Research Group website, which will serve as an international resource for research, measurement instruments, publications, and collaboration related to nurse professional competence. Professor Emerita Margret Lepp then moderated an introduction of the workshop participants, highlighting the broad international representation and expertise gathered for the event.

The keynote presentation, "The new role of advanced practice nurses in Sweden," was delivered by Ing-Marie Moegelin, RN, Specialist Nurse in Cancer Care and Senior Advisor for Education Policy and Development at the Swedish Society of Nursing. The presentation provided a starting point for a programme addressing professional competence from national, educational, clinical, and research perspectives.

Throughout the day, presentations were anchored in peer-reviewed research conducted by members of the NPC Research Group and its international collaborators. A central theme was the increasing international application of the Nurse Professional Competence Scale. Professor Jan Nilsson presented a scoping review protocol focusing on the global application of the NPC Scale, while Professor Jehad Halabi and Dr Denice Högstedt discussed professional competence from the perspective of the international nursing workforce.

The programme also introduced methodological developments in the measurement of professional competence. Professor Maria Engström and Professor Lijuan Xu presented two new brief versions of the NPC Scale, NPC-6 and NPC-12. Other sessions explored professional competence across nursing specialties and healthcare systems, presented by Professor Jehad Halabi and Associate Professor Anne Flodén; the relationship between nurses' competence and quality of working life, presented by Professor Lijuan Xu and PhD student Kewen Zhu; and gender in relation to professional competence, presented by Professor Emerita Marianne Carlsson.

An important feature of the workshop was its broad international perspective. Lely Lusmilasari, S.Kp., M.Kes., PhD, presented the current status and future challenges of nursing competencies in Indonesia. Professor Ann Gardulf, Professor Randi Martinsen, and Professor Mika Tanaka addressed challenges facing nursing education, while Associate Professor Ippolito Notarnicola shared experiences from Italy concerning the psychometric properties of the NPC Scale and related research.

Feedback following the workshop was highly positive. Participants described the First International NPC Workshop as interesting, inspiring, and highly valuable, emphasizing its importance as a forum for learning, exchanging experiences, and reflecting together on nurse professional competence.

The international format was particularly appreciated. Participants highlighted opportunities to establish new international contacts and strengthen existing collaborations, demonstrating the value of bringing together researchers and nursing professionals from different countries, healthcare systems, and educational contexts.

The workshop was also regarded as an important platform for the continued development and international use of the NPC Scale. Sharing experiences across countries, discussing methodological developments, and identifying emerging challenges created opportunities for further research and collaboration across national boundaries.

Participants also characterized the workshop as well organized, meaningful, and of high academic quality. The combination of scientific presentations, discussion, international perspectives, and networking contributed to a stimulating environment for professional and academic exchange.

A central message emerging from the workshop was that nurse professional competence is fundamental to high-quality care, patient safety, workforce well-being, and sustainable healthcare systems. As healthcare systems face increasingly complex challenges, understanding, measuring, and strengthening professional competence will remain an important area for nursing research, education, and clinical practice.

The discussions also underscored the value of international collaboration in the continued development, translation, validation, and application of the NPC Scale across different cultural and healthcare contexts. By connecting researchers and professionals across countries, the NPC Research Group seeks to support a growing international knowledge base on nurse professional competence and facilitate future collaborative research.

The positive participant feedback and strong international engagement provide a solid foundation for continued collaboration within the international NPC research community, with a second International NPC Workshop planned for 2027.

Contact: Professor Emerita Margret Lepp, Moderator of the First International NPC Workshop 2026 – margret.lepp@gu.se