Development of a Support Assessment Scale of On-site Nursing Instructors Based on the Perceptions of Novice Nurses

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to develop a support assessment scale of on-site nursing instructors based on the perceptions of novice nurses.

Methods: A draft scale was created based on the literature and qualitative studies related to the support provided for novice nurses. The validity and reliability of the scale was evaluated with a questionnaire survey administered to novice nurses working in ten university hospitals and national hospitals in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Results: The number of valid responses was 553 (72.2%). Since no significant differences were found in the mean total scores of the draft scale depending on the gender, working experience as a member of society, and final educational background, all the valid responses were included in the analysis.

After performing an item analysis, we performed an exploratory factor analysis with the maximum likelihood method and promax rotation. The analysis identified 17 items in the following two factors: [practical support] and [emotional support]. The goodness of fit of the model by confirmatory factor analysis was GFI = .903, AGFI = .875, and RMSEA = .072. The correlation coefficient for the criterion-related validity was .723, the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was .952, and the intraclass correlation coefficient by a test-retest was .697.

Conclusion: Acceptable reliability and validity of the support assessment scale of on-site nursing instructors perceived by novice nurses were verified.