Education, training, and proficiency of procedural skills

Clinical competence exists when a practitioner has sufficient knowledge and skill such that a procedure can be performed to obtain intended outcomes without harm to the patient. Practitioners who want to be competent in performing clinical procedures should examine how the procedures are relevant to their practice, place the procedures in a familiar context, learn what outcomes are expected, and practice self-evaluation. Competence has several components, including knowledge, clinical decision making, judgment, technical skills, attitudes, professional habits, and interpersonal skills. Each of these must be mastered using a variety of sources of information and skill acquisition.