Development and Validation of the Professional Self-Concept Scale for Hospital Nurses (PSCS-HN)

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Professional self-concept (PSC) positively impacts organizational attitudes and behaviors.
• Accurate assessment of PSC is vital for nurses to provide quality care but challenging in dynamic healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the validity and reliability of a new instrument, the Professional Self-Concept Scale for Hospital Nurses (PSCS-HN).

Main Methods:

• Scale development involved literature review, focus groups, and expert content validation.
• Scale evaluation included a survey of 440 nurses, employing item, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses.
• Construct, concurrent, and convergent validity were assessed using established statistical methods and existing instruments.

Main Results:

• The final PSCS-HN comprises 23 items across five factors.
• The scale demonstrated strong validity, with significant correlations to existing instruments.
• High reliability was confirmed, with Cronbach's alpha at 0.93 and McDonald's omega at 0.95.

Conclusions:

• The PSCS-HN is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the professional self-concept of hospital nurses.
• This scale can aid in understanding and improving nurses' attitudes and behaviors, contributing to enhanced nursing care quality.