title: The Nursing Student Self-Efficacy Scale: development using item response theory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For nurse educators to optimize instruction that supports students' accurate estimates of their ability, a sound measure of nursing self-efficacy is needed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To provide evidence for an adequate item response theory model fit to scores measuring nursing students' self-efficacy to care for critically ill patients and to use the theory to provide evidence for reliable and valid interpretation of self-efficacy scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Nursing Student Self-Efficacy Scale was administered to 421 nursing students. Data regarding students' self-efficacy beliefs for psychomotor skill performance and communication skills were analyzed using the generalized partial credit item response theory model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All items showed acceptable model-data fit using the chi-square test with an alpha of .001. Review of item information functions showed that 40% of the items provided high information about self-efficacy and 20% provided moderately high information. Comparison of trait level distributions with reliability information given by the two subscales showed that the psychomotor subscale measured self-efficacy most accurately for second and third semester students and the communication subscale measured efficacy most accurately for first and second semester students. Significant mean differences in self-efficacy scores from both subscales were found between students in successive semesters of the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data analysis provided some evidence for reliable interpretation of scores indicating self-efficacy beliefs of nursing students. Comparison of scores from students in different semesters provided validity evidence; the instrument could be used to discriminate between beginning students and more advanced students possessing different levels of self-efficacy. When used for scale development, item response theory procedures can be more informative about item and test reliability than classical true score theory.
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA. gsstump@mit.edu
authors.forename: Glenda S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Stump
authors.forename: Jenefer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Husman
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Brem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004506:Education, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020377:Self Efficacy; D015206:Southwestern United States; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*