Background: Nursing competence is essential to avoid medical errors and improve healthcare delivery, ensuring patient safety, enhancing healthcare quality, and improving patient outcomes. The complexity of healthcare and the aging population have increased the focus on nurse competence .Aim: The aim was to describe the current status of professional competence among registered nurses and identify the factors associated with their competence.Design: A descriptive literature review.Methods: A descriptive literature review was conducted, focusing on quantitative studies published in the last decade. The search terms used were "professional competence", "Clinical competence", and "Nurses".Results: A total of 10 quantitative articles were included describing nurses' professional competence. The factors associated with nursing competence were categorized into three aspects: (1) Demographic variables, (2) Work-related factors, and (3) Individual-related factors.Conclusion: Nurses' professional competence varied in different regions, working environments and personal backgrounds. Factors associated with competence level included demographic, work-related, and individual-related. Hospital managers should realize that nurses' working environment, training and continuing education system are critical for their competence development.