Advanced practice nursing role development: factor analysis of a modified role delineation tool.
OBJECTIVE
This study reports the use of exploratory factor analysis to determine construct validity of a modified advanced practice role delineation tool.


BACKGROUND
Little research exists on specific activities and domains of practice within advanced practice nursing roles, making it difficult to define service parameters of this level of nursing practice. A valid and reliable tool would assist those responsible for employing or deploying advanced practice nurses by identifying and defining their service profile. This is the third article from a multi-phase Australian study aimed at assigning advanced practice roles.


METHODS
A postal survey was conducted of a random sample of state government employed Registered Nurses and midwives, across various levels and grades of practice in the state of Queensland, Australia, using the modified Advanced Practice Role Delineation tool. Exploratory factor analysis, using principal axis factoring was undertaken to examine factors in the modified tool. Cronbach's alpha coefficient determined reliability of the overall scale and identified factors.


RESULTS
There were 658 responses (42% response rate). The five factors found with loadings of ≥400 for 40 of the 41 APN activities were similar to the five domains in the Strong model. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0·94 overall and for the factors ranged from 0·83 to 0·95.


CONCLUSIONS
Exploratory factor analysis of the modified tool supports validity of the five domains of the original tool. Further investigation will identify use of the tool in a broader healthcare environment.
Institute for Health & Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. am.chang@qut.edu.au
Anne M
AM
Chang
Glenn E
GE
Gardner
Christine
C
Duffield
Mary-Anne
MA
Ramis
D000328:Adult; D057179:Advanced Practice Nursing; D000368:Aged; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D011793:Queensland; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult