Objective To evaluate the effects of a core-competency training program in community nurses. Methods Sixty-four community nurses who participated in Community Specialist Nurse Training received a core-competency training for four weeks in Chongqing. The outcomes were evaluated by conducting examination and distributing the Competency Inventory for Community Nurse questionnaire before and after training. Nurses’ satisfaction level was assessed after the training. Semi-structured interviews with nurses，managers and colleagues were conducted half a year after the training. Results After the training，the examination performance and core competency scores were higher than those of baseline（P<0.05）. Besides，nurses had a high satisfaction degree with the training. All participants who participated in the interviews believed that they had improved competence in clinical practice，interpersonal communication，clinical critical thinking，as well as research and teaching after the training. Conclusion The core-competency training is worthy of promotion for it improves multiple core competences in community nurses.