Objective To explore the current status, potential profiles, and influencing factors of clinical nurses' digital competence as dual-qualified teachers, providing personalized references for administrators to enhance the digital competence of clinical nurses and develop targeted intervention strategies.

Method A self-designed general information questionnaire, a clinical nurse digital competence survey questionnaire, a general self-efficacy scale, and an occupational outcome expectation scale were used to survey clinical nurses in 21 hospitals in Anhui Province. A potential profile analysis was conducted on the digital competence of clinical nurses, and the influencing factors of different profile classifications of clinical nurses' digital competence were explored through univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis.

Result The total mean score of clinical nurses' digital competence was (3.88 ± 0.44) points, and three profiles were identified: potential-to-be-unlocked type (17.5%), continuous improvement type (57.5%), and strength-driven type (25.0%). Through multiple logistic regression analysis, taking the potential-to-be-unlocked type as the reference group, in the comparison between the continuous improvement type and the potential-to-be-unlocked type, different highest education levels, professional titles, participation in hospital information/digital training, general self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations were significant influencing factors for the digital competence among clinical nurses in different categories (P ＜ 0.01). In the comparison between the strength-driven type and the potential-to-be-unlocked type, different professional titles, participation in hospital information/digital training, general self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations were significant influencing factors for the digital competence among clinical nurses in different categories (P ＜ 0.01).

Conclusions There is heterogeneity in the digital competence of clinical nurses. It is recommended that hospital administrators implement interventions based on the different classification characteristics of clinical nurses' digital competence to improve their level of digital competence.