Exploring Nursing Competency and Care Issues in an Infirmary Hospital in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat

Nursing competency and Quality of care are important in providing safe and effective patient services. In the infirmary, many challenges can affect nursing competency and care. This study aims to explore nurses' experiences, care issues, and the impact of competence on the quality of care and patient experience, and to develop an enhancement plan. The study found that the nursing competency in the infirmary hospital comes from continuous learning through actual clinical exposure, mentorship of senior nurses, and participation in seminars and training. Daily multitasking and limited resources help strengthen nurses' adaptability, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. However, major problems such as a lack of staff, high workload, stress, fatigue, and burnout were also observed, affecting the performance and emotional well-being of nurses. In addition, the lack of medical supplies, equipment, and limited institutional support has reduced the quality of service and delayed the provision of proper patient care. Despite this, nurses remain committed and adjust by prioritizing patient needs and teamwork. Nursing competency is seen to directly affect patient safety, trust, communication, and satisfaction, as well as patient recovery outcomes. Nursing competency is continuously developed through experience and learning. More training, additional staff, and strengthening of patient education are recommended to improve the quality of care.