title: Clinical Nursing Faculty Competence Inventory - development and psychometric testing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper is a report of the development and psychometric testing of the Clinical Nursing Faculty Competence Inventory.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical faculty plays a vital role in nursing education. Highly competent clinical faculty is a prerequisite for graduating competent future nurses. Many studies have examined the effectiveness of clinical nursing teaching. Yet, translating this body of knowledge into accurate and comprehensive assessment tools for measuring the competence of nursing faculty remains a challenge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one indicators of core competence of clinical nursing faculty were identified thorough literature review, expert consultation and a small sample pilot test. A total of 237 nursing faculty members, students and administrators from six advanced medical colleges in China were surveyed during 2007-2008. Using a five-point Likert-type scale, the respondents identified their level of agreement with statements addressing the components of clinical nursing faculty competence. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the factor structure of the inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students and faculty members valued aspects of clinical nursing faculty competence differently. Exploratory factor analysis using varimax rotation determined construct validity of the inventory and 26 items were retained. Five important categories of clinical nursing faculty competence were revealed: leadership ability, problem solving ability, educational intelligence, general teaching ability and clinical nursing skills. The Cronbach's alpha level of the inventory was 0·91, with each domain ranging from 0·61 to 0·85.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inventory has good psychometric properties and can be used in training and evaluation of clinical nursing faculty.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Minhua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011340:Problem Solving; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013663:Teaching / Q000592:standards