Development of A Scale Assessing The Competence of Psychiatric Nurses

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop a scale assessing the competence of psychiatric nurses. A total of 206 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses working in four psychiatric hospitals participated in this study. A five-point Likert-type scale comprising 53 items was used to assess the competence of these psychiatric nurses. This study comprised the following two phases: (a) item analysis and (b) scale’s reliability and validity evaluation by conducting an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In total, 150 effective answers were identified. Three items were eliminated based on the results of the item analysis, and 13 items were removed on the basis of the EFA results. Finally, the scale assessing the competence for the psychiatric nurses was developed according to five factors comprising 37 items: (i) Factor 1 (patient–nurse relationship), (ii) Factor 2 (specialized knowledge), (iii) Factor 3 (recovery and health promotion), (iv) Factor 4 (safe patient care), and (v) Factor 5 (professional development). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.95 in the total score, which indicated the scale’s reliability. These results suggest that the reliability and validity of the scale assessing the competence of the psychiatric nurses have been proven. Further studies should be conducted to establish and develop psychiatric nursing education programs so that psychiatric nurses can improve their nursing competence.