The novice objective structured clinical evaluation tool: psychometric testing.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is a report of a study of the psychometric properties of the Novice Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation Tool.


BACKGROUND
A collaborative undergraduate nursing programme is currently using an objective structured clinical evaluation at the conclusion of the first nursing clinical course to determine student competence as a component of quality and safety education. However, the reliability and validity of the assessment tool has not been established.


METHODS
Psychometric testing was conducted with a convenience sample of 565 nursing students. Data were collected during three consecutive years from 2002 to 2004. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing were conducted on this 25-item tool.


RESULTS
Principal axis factoring method identified two factors through the orthogonal, oblimin and promax rotations: Factor 1 Safety and Factor 2, Anticipation. Spearman-Brown's result for Factor 1 was 0·93 and for Factor 2 was 0·77. Cronbach's alpha was.94 for Factor 1 and 0·71 for Factor 2.


CONCLUSIONS
The tool was found to have adequate construct validity and reliability. Its stability should be tested by conducting test-retest analysis. Equivalency dimensions of reliability should be evaluated by looking at interrater reliability. This tool shows merit for assessing elements of quality and safety education.
Walsh
Mireille
M
School of Nursing, Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology, Timmins, Ontario, Canada. walshm@northern.on.ca
Bailey
Patricia Hill
PH
Mossey
Sharolyn
S
Koren
Irene
I
D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004506:Education, Nursing; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012449:Safety / Q000592:standards