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Because of the political and professional expectation that nurses engage in independent lifelong learning, nurses have to be able to teach themselves. Furthermore, their learning needs to be at the correct educational level. A culture of curiosity is therefore a key requirement of modern nursing. This article analyses a theory that cyclically links curiosity to competency and argues that curiosity thrives in an environment that maximizes competency. The nature and dimensions of competency are discussed. The article examines the importance of competence in nursing practice. It discusses what the principles of best practice are in relation to using competency to maximise curiosity in the clinical learning environment.

The professional status of nursing requires that nurses have access to and can understand a knowledge base at the correct academic level. Over the last 15 years there has been an explosion in the amount of best practice evidence available to nurses. There has also been an increasing emphasis on independent life-long learning and an expectation that nurses should be able to teach themselves. This article argues that a culture of curiosity is a key requirement of these demands. It examines the origins and nature of curiosity and proposes teaching techniques that can be used in higher education institutions and in clinical practice to promote a culture of curiosity in nursing.