This cross-sectional study explored nursing students’ professional competency and examined the differences of nursing professional competence among three vocational education programs. Self-administered questionnaires were used to investigate nursing students’ professional competency including the ability to take care of patients, communication, teaching, management, research, and self/professional growth dimensions. Participants’ mean competency score was 3.50 ± 0.61 (total = 5 points). Professional competency significantly differed among students of different vocational education programs; continue-two-year-program students and four-year-program students were more competent than five-year-program students (F = 11.165, p < .001). Furthermore, there were significant differences in female students of different vocational education programs with respect to competency; continue-two-year-program students were more competent than five-year-program students (F = 11.599, p < .001). Professional competency significantly differed in terms of the length of nursing students’ vocational education. Evaluating nursing students’ competency might be useful as an indicator of nursing education outcomes.
