The Norwegian Version of the Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance Scale (SECP): Psychometric Validation Study

Previous research has demonstrated a correlation between nursing students' self-efficacy and their clinical performance, competence, and behavior during clinical practice placements. Assessing students' self-efficacy in clinical performance could be a valuable method for identifying areas that need reinforcement and for recognizing students who may require additional support during clinical practice placements.

This study aimed to translate the Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance Scale (SECP) from English into Norwegian and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version.

A cross-sectional study design was used. The SECP was translated into Norwegian following a 6-step process: forward translation, forward translation synthesis, backward translation, backward translation synthesis, cognitive debriefing, and psychometric testing. The validity and reliability of the translated version were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach α, McDonald ω, and composite reliability.

A total of 399 nursing students completed the Norwegian version of the SECP. The CFA goodness-of-fit indices (χ2/df ratio=1.578, comparative fit index=0.98, Tucker-Lewis index=0.98, standardized root mean square residual=0.056, root mean square error of approximation=0.038) indicated an acceptable model fit. Reliability measures, including Cronbach ⍺, McDonald ω, and composite reliability, were high, with factor-level values ranging from 0.94 to 0.98.

The Norwegian version of the SECP demonstrated strong potential as an instrument for assessing self-efficacy in both current and required competencies among nursing students in clinical practice within nursing education. Future research should aim to confirm the factor structure of the SECP and evaluate its test-retest reliability.