Validity, reliability, and acceptability of the Evidence-Informed Decision-Making (EIDM) competence measure

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Health Services Research
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Assessing self-reported competence in evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) is crucial for public health registered nurses.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of EIDM competence, including knowledge, skills, attitudes/beliefs, and behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity, reliability, and acceptability of the newly developed EIDM Competence Measure.
• To confirm the psychometric properties of a self-reported tool designed for public health nurses.

Main Methods:

• A psychometric study design was used with 201 registered nurses in Ontario, Canada.
• The EIDM Competence Measure underwent item reduction, principal component analysis, and reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha).
• Validity was assessed by exploring associations with individual and organizational factors.

Main Results:

• The revised 27-item EIDM Competence Measure demonstrated a clear four-factor structure (knowledge, skills, attitudes/beliefs, behaviors).
• Internal reliability was high for all subscales (Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0.80 to 0.96).
• EIDM competence scores were significantly associated with education, training, project involvement, and organizational culture.

Conclusions:

• The EIDM Competence Measure is a valid, reliable, and acceptable tool for assessing EIDM competence in public health registered nurses.
• The tool's psychometric properties support its use in evaluating EIDM capacity and informing targeted interventions.
• Findings highlight the importance of education and supportive environments for enhancing EIDM in public health nursing practice.