The hospital social work self-efficacy scale: a partial replication and extension

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Healthcare Administration
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Assessing social worker confidence is crucial for effective hospital practice.
• The Hospital Social Work Self-Efficacy Scale (HSWSE) was previously developed for this purpose.
• Initial validation focused on master's-level social work students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate and extend the validation of the HSWSE.
• To assess the construct and external validity of the HSWSE in broader populations.
• To confirm the scale's utility for professional hospital social workers.

Main Methods:

• Partial replication and extension of the HSWSE validation study.
• Inclusion of both social work students and professional social workers.
• Utilized a new scale for construct validity and an additional hospital for external validity assessment.

Main Results:

• Findings generally support the continued use and validity of the HSWSE.
• The scale demonstrated reliability and validity in the extended sample.
• Anecdotal evidence indicates practitioners find the HSWSE easy to use, specific, and relevant.

Conclusions:

• The HSWSE is a valid and reliable measure for assessing hospital social worker self-efficacy.
• The scale's utility is supported across student and professional populations.
• The HSWSE is perceived by practitioners as a relevant and practical outcome measure.