Development and Validation of the Nurse Unit Manager Competency Scale (NUM-CS): A Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Management
• Healthcare Administration
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Nurse Unit Managers (NUMs) are crucial for clinical governance and care delivery.
• Chinese NUM appointments often lack formal competency assessment, relying on seniority.
• Existing international frameworks may not suit China's specialized and high-risk hospital contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Nurse Unit Manager Competency Scale (NUM-CS).
• To assess the stability of the NUM-CS factor structure across diverse Chinese hospital settings.
• To provide a psychometrically robust instrument for competency-based nursing management.

Main Methods:

• A multiphase methodological study conducted from May to December 2025.
• Item generation from qualitative data, refined through Delphi consultations.
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on independent hospital samples (n=151, n=212).

Main Results:

• The final NUM-CS comprises 33 items across six competency domains.
• Factor analysis confirmed a stable six-factor model across settings (EFA: 74.28% variance; CFA supported).
• High internal consistency and positive correlation with situational judgment test scores (r=0.312, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• The NUM-CS is a preliminarily validated, practice-oriented tool for identifying and developing NUM reserve candidates in China.
• It supports competency-based identification, development, and formative assessment, particularly in specialized and high-risk environments.