Association between physical fitness and core emergency competencies among emergency nurses in China

Abstract Background Emergency nurses require exceptional levels of clinical professionalism and physical fitness.However, little is known about the impact of physical fitness on the core emergency competencies of emergency nurses. Aims The aims of this study were to describe the levels of physical fitness of emergency nurses and to explore the influence of physical fitness on their core emergency competencies. Study Design: A cross-sectional study involving emergency nurses was conducted in China between April and May 2024. The data were collected using a self-report questionnaire (sociodemographic characteristics and core emergency competencies) and physical fitness tests. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with the core emergency competencies of emergency nurses. Results The study included 146 emergency nurses. The mean score for core emergency competencies was 137.73 ± 18.96. Among the nurses, 3.5% had good physical fitness, 47.3% had general physical fitness, and 49.3% had poor physical fitness. Furthermore, 88.4% agreed that their health-related physical fitness (HRPF) had an impact on their core emergency competencies. A multivariate analysis indicated that core emergency competencies were associated with self-reported HRPF (β = 0.251, p  < 0.001), body mass index (β = 0.195, p  = 0.004), work tenure (β = 0.195, p  = 0.006), choice reaction time (β = −0.179, p  = 0.011), and professional qualifications (β = 0.229, p  = 0.049). Conclusion Nearly half the emergency nurses had poor physical fitness. Work tenure, professional qualifications, self-reported HRPF, body mass index, and choice reaction time were all found to be related to the core emergency competencies.Nurse managers should prioritize the development of programs aimed at enhancing the aspects of emergency nurses’ physical fitness that may impact their core emergency competencies.