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Validating the Interpersonal Communication Assessment Scale
Marilyn D Klakovich1, Felicitas A Dela Cruz
1Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing, Azusa, CA, USA. mklakovich@apu.edu
Summary
A new Interpersonal Communication Assessment Scale (ICAS) was developed to measure nursing students' communication skills. The validated 23-item ICAS effectively differentiates between beginning and graduating students, proving useful for assessing nursing communication competencies.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Communication Studies
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Interpersonal communication is crucial in nursing.
- Existing tools to measure nursing students' communication competencies are limited.
- A psychometrically sound instrument is needed for evaluating undergraduate and graduate nursing students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and psychometrically test the Interpersonal Communication Assessment Scale (ICAS).
- To assess the communication competencies of undergraduate and graduate nursing students.
- To provide a reliable tool for formative and summative evaluation of nursing students' communication skills.
Main Methods:
- Content validation and pilot testing of a 54-item scale.
- Psychometric testing using responses from 531 clinical faculty across 246 nursing schools.
- Exploratory factor analysis to identify underlying constructs of the ICAS.
Main Results:
- A 23-item Interpersonal Communication Assessment Scale (ICAS) was finalized.
- The ICAS demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .96).
- The scale exhibited construct validity and significantly differentiated communication competencies between student levels.
Conclusions:
- The Interpersonal Communication Assessment Scale (ICAS) is a psychometrically sound instrument.
- ICAS can be utilized as a formative and summative assessment tool for nursing students.
- The scale measures key communication competencies: advocacy, therapeutic use of self, and validation.