title: Measuring attributes of success of college students in nursing programs: a psychometric analysis.
abstract: Because of the most recent nurse shortage it has become important to determine retention factors of nursing students in the context of various aspects of college nursing programs and institutional systems. The purpose of this article is to describe the psychometric properties of a new measure that could be useful in examining nursing student retention related to the educational institution characteristics, educational processes, and individual student characteristics. The measurement instrument was conceptually designed around 4 constructs and was administered to a test group and a validation group. The dispositional construct loaded differently for each group (test group: math and science ability, confidence in the future, and confidence in ability; validation group: math and science ability, confidence in the future, self-expectation, and confidence in ability). The situational construct factored on 4 subscales (financial issues, social support, missed classes, and work issues); the institutional construct on 4 factors (peer, overall experience, diversity, and faculty); the career values construct on 5 factors (job characteristics, autonomy, caring, flexibility, and work style). Based on the results of the factor analyses and alpha reliability, evidence supported using the dispositional subscales of math and science ability, the career values subscales of job characteristics and work style, the situational subscales of work issues and financial issues, and the institutional subscales of diversity and faculty. The other potential subscales need further refinement and testing.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, 94143-0608, USA. jean.ann.seago@nursing.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Jean Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Seago
authors.forename: Sabrina T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grumbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002140:California; D002321:Career Choice; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010379:Peer Group; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011594:Psychometrics; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*