Development of the clinical reasoning competency scale for nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Competency Assessment
• Psychometric Scale Development

Background:

• Effective clinical reasoning is vital for nurses to prevent errors in clinical decision-making.
• A validated tool is needed to accurately assess nurses' clinical reasoning skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Clinical Reasoning Competency Scale (CRCS).
• To provide a reliable measure for assessing nurses' clinical reasoning abilities.

Main Methods:

• Methodological study involving systematic literature review and in-depth interviews.
• Development of preliminary items for the CRCS.
• Evaluation of scale validity and reliability among a sample of nurses.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis confirmed construct validity, with a total explained variance of 52.62%.
• The CRCS comprises 22 items across three subscales: plan setting, intervention strategy regulation, and self-instruction.
• High reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.92) and significant criterion validity (r=0.78) were demonstrated when compared to the Nurse Clinical Reasoning Competence (NCRC).

Conclusions:

• The developed Clinical Reasoning Competency Scale (CRCS) is a psychometrically sound instrument.
• CRCS provides empirical data for designing interventions to enhance nurses' clinical reasoning skills.
• This scale can support the improvement of nursing education and clinical practice.