The Appraisal of Nursing Practice: Instrument Development and Initial Testing

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Clinical Competency Assessment

Background:

• Existing measures of new nurse confidence lack psychometric rigor.
• A need exists for observational tools assessing broad nursing competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present initial psychometric data for the Appraisal of Nursing Practice (ANP).
• To create a tool aligned with Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies.

Main Methods:

• Developed a 37-item ANP based on QSEN competencies.
• Utilized cognitive interviewing for item refinement.
• Assessed interrater reliability and conducted a field test in a nurse residency program.

Main Results:

• The ANP demonstrated generally acceptable interrater and internal consistency reliability.
• Nurses showed significant score increases during the residency program.

Conclusions:

• The ANP can assist nursing administrators in identifying competency development areas for nurse residents.
• The tool aids in achieving desired competency outcomes for newly qualified nurses.