title: Human Capital Questionnaire: Assessment of European nurses' perceptions as indicators of human capital quality.
abstract: Healthcare accreditation models generally include indicators related to healthcare employees' perceptions (e.g. satisfaction, career development, and health safety). During the accreditation process, organizations are asked to demonstrate the methods with which assessments are made. However, none of the models provide standardized systems for the assessment of employees. In this study, we analyzed the psychometric properties of an instrument for the assessment of nurses' perceptions as indicators of human capital quality in healthcare organizations. The Human Capital Questionnaire was applied to a sample of 902 nurses in four European countries (Spain, Portugal, Poland, and the UK). Exploratory factor analysis identified six factors: satisfaction with leadership, identification and commitment, satisfaction with participation, staff well-being, career development opportunities, and motivation. The results showed the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, which when applied to healthcare organizations, provide a better understanding of nurses' perceptions, and is a parsimonious instrument for assessment and organizational accreditation. From a practical point of view, improving the quality of human capital, by analyzing nurses and other healthcare employees' perceptions, is related to workforce empowerment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. myepes@ub.edu
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yepes-Baldó
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010465:Perception; D011044:Poland; D011174:Portugal; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom