title: Developing and testing the nurse educator scale: a robust measure of students' intentions to pursue an educator role.
abstract: No instrument exists that measures student perceptions of the faculty role. Such a measure is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of interventions aimed at attracting students to the faculty career path. We developed the Nurse Educator Scale (NES). The initial scale items were generated using the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) constructs and were reviewed by an expert panel to ensure content validity. Exploratory factor analysis was used. The optimized 25-item, 7-point Likert scale has a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.85, with a total variance of 42%. The underlying factor structure supported three defining characteristics congruent with SCCT: outcome expectations (alpha = 0.79), relevant knowledge (alpha = 0.67), and social influence (alpha = 0.80). A stand-alone, item-measuring goal setting was also supported. The NES provides a valid and reliable measure of students' intentions and motivations to pursue a future career as a nurse educator or scientist.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. haifa.samra@sdstate.edu
authors.forename: Haifa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abou Samra
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Estes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014830:Vocational Guidance