Development and Assessment of Reliability, Validity of a Competency Rating Scale for Head Nurses in Realization of Work-Life Balance among Nurses

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the "Competency Rating Scale for Head Nurses in the Realization of work-life balance (WLB) among Nurses," which was advanced from the existing scale developed in a previous study. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 2,285 head nurses working for 431 hospitals across the country. The study items included the attributes and 41 previously constructed items of the Competency Rating Scale. Of the 1,924 questionnaires returned (response rate: 66.4%), 1,743 were analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis (principal factor method, promax rotation) and a confirmatory factor analysis identified eight factors and 33 items in the scale. The eight factors were: sharing of vision, career support, promotion of the understanding of the WLB support system, transparency and fairness in taking holidays, problem-solving activities in nursing practice, flexibility underlying the development of interpersonal relationships, responsible behavior as middle managers, and staff deployment leveraging individual competency. The overall Cronbach's α was .940, and coefficients for each factor ranged from .784 to .887. Convergent validity was assessed through correlations between the scale and their attributes ("received training as certified nurse administrators," "experience of planning/conducting workshops in the hospital," "presence of promotion system for managers based on clear criteria," "years of head nurse experience," and "presence of WLB promotion committee"), and discriminant validity was evaluated using age and sex. Future studies should look at examining the reproducibility, criterion-related validity, and utility of the scale.