en Nursing Original Article <span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b>Background:</b> Diagnostic thinking and clinical competence are the two main domains of efficient nursing care. This study assessed the association between diagnostic thinking and clinical competence among emergency nurses.<br> <b>Methods:</b> The present correlation study was conducted in 2020 on 113 nurses working in emergency departments in a northwestern province of Iran over two consecutive years. A stratified random sampling method was used for recruiting nurses. Data was gathered via a demographic questionnaire, the Diagnostic Thinking Inventory, and the Nurse Competence Scale and analyzed using the SPSS 18 software. Pearson&#39;s correlation assessed the association between the nurses&#39; diagnostic thinking and clinical competence at a significance level of 0.05.<br> <b>Results:</b> According to the findings, the nurses&rsquo; diagnostic thinking abilities were poor (154.15 &plusmn;15.73, range of 150-155), while their clinical competence was good (61.62&plusmn;18.97, range of 51-75). Significant correlations emerged between thinking flexibility, work role (r=0.22, p=0.017), and memory structure. In addition, thinking flexibility was significantly associated with work role (r=0.22, P=0.017), and memory structure was correlated with teaching-coaching function (r=0.22, P=0.015), diagnostic functions (r=0.25, P=0.006), management of situations (r=0.45, P=0.0001), therapeutic interventions (r=0.42, P=0.0001), regimens (r=0.18, P=0.056), and work role (r=0.4, P=0.0001).<br> <b>Conclusion</b>: Amplifying thinking procedures and using diagnostic thinking patterns enhance emergency nurses&#39; practice, performance, and clinical competence and promote nursing care. Lecturers and planners must employ modern educational methods to increase nurses&#39; thinking skills and clinical competence.</span></span> Clinical competence, Emergency nursing, Emergency service, Hospital, Diagnostic thinking 33 36 http://nmj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1726-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Tannaz Baradarani tn_br91@yahoo.com 100319475328460013734 100319475328460013734 No Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Fariborz Roshangar fariborzroshangar@gmail.com 100319475328460013735 100319475328460013735 Yes Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Faranak Jabbarzadeh Tabrizi jabbarzadehf@tbzmed.ac.ir 100319475328460013736 100319475328460013736 No Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Parvin Sarbakhsh p.sarbakhsh@gmail.com 100319475328460013737 100319475328460013737 No Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Kobra Parvan ParvanK@tbzmed.ac.ir 100319475328460013738 100319475328460013738 No Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran