Development of competence scale for senior clinical nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Assessing the competence of senior clinical nurses is crucial for quality patient care.
• Existing assessment tools may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of senior nursing roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new scale, the Competence Scale for Senior Clinical Nurses (CS-SCN).
• To provide a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating the competence of senior clinical nurses in hospital settings.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 218 clinical nurses in Japan.
• Statistical analyses included exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, and construct validity assessments.

Main Results:

• A 22-item, five-factor scale (CS-SCN) was developed, explaining 66.7% of the variance in nursing competence.
• The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93) and supported construct validity.
• The five factors identified were: role accomplishment, self-management, research, practice and coordination, and work implementation.

Conclusions:

• The CS-SCN is a concise and validated instrument for measuring senior clinical nurse competence.
• The scale shows initial support but requires further refinement and testing.
• The CS-SCN has the potential to improve the competence of senior clinical nurses through targeted evaluation.