Aim: To clarify the defining attributes of competence-based human resource management (CBHRM) in nursing, its antecedents, and consequences.
Background: A thorough literature review showed multidefinitions of CBHRM, which resulted in confusion in ways of describing CBHRM practice and its implementation in nursing.
Methods: A literature review through systematic searches in CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Medline, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Embase, and Google Scholar between 2000 and February 2018 with full text in English.
Results: The attributes of CBHRM in nursing include recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, reward system, and career planning. Antecedents to CBHRM in nursing include organizational factors (organizational size, culture, the nature of human resource (HR) department, type of organization, and the number of employee), individual factors (HR managers' competence, and top managers' role, intention, and characteristics), and HR policy. Consequences include employee outcomes (competence development, high motivation, job satisfaction, retention, and better performance), organizational outcomes (quality of care, patient safety, and patient satisfaction), and financial outcomes.
Conclusion: This study helps nursing managers and HR managers to understand the concept of CBHRM in nursing comprehensively.
Keywords: competence; human resource management; literature review; nursing.
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