Development and validation of a new tool measuring nurses self-reported professional competence--the nurse professional competence (NPC) Scale.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a new tool intended for measuring self-reported professional competence among both nurse students prior to graduation and among practicing nurses. The new tool is based on formal competence requirements from the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare, which in turn are based on WHO guidelines.


METHODS
A methodological study including construction of a new scale and evaluation of its psychometric properties.


METHODS
1086 newly graduated nurse students from 11 universities/university colleges.


RESULTS
The analyses resulted in a scale named the NPC (Nurse Professional Competence) Scale, consisting of 88 items and covering eight factors: "Nursing care", "Value-based nursing care", "Medical/technical care", "Teaching/learning and support", "Documentation and information technology", "Legislation in nursing and safety planning", "Leadership in and development of nursing care" and "Education and supervision of staff/students". All factors achieved Cronbach's alpha values greater than 0.70. A second-order exploratory analysis resulted in two main themes: "Patient-related nursing" and "Nursing care organisation and development". In addition, evidence of known-group validity for the NPC Scale was obtained.


CONCLUSIONS
The NPC Scale, which is based on national and international professional competence requirements for nurses, was comprehensively tested and showed satisfactory psychometrical properties. It can e.g. be used to evaluate the outcomes of nursing education programmes, to assess nurses' professional competences in relation to the needs in healthcare organisations, and to tailor introduction programmes for newly employed nurses.
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden. Electronic address: nilj@kau.se.
Jan
J
Nilsson
Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. Electronic address: Eva.M.Johansson@ki.se.
Eva
E
Johansson
The Red Cross University College, SE-102 15 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: egma@rkh.se.
Ann-Charlotte
AC
Egmar
School of Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, SE-791 31 Falun, Sweden. Electronic address: jfl@du.se.
Jan
J
Florin
School of Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, SE-791 31 Falun, Sweden. Electronic address: jle@du.se.
Janeth
J
Leksell
Institute of Health and Care Science, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; Østfold University College, Halden, Norway. Electronic address: margret.lepp@gu.se.
Margret
M
Lepp
Sophiahemmet University College, SE-114 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: c.lindholm@telia.com.
Christina
C
Lindholm
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden; Department of Nursing, Hedmark University College, Hedmark, Norway. Electronic address: gun.nordstrom@kau.se.
Gun
G
Nordström
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden. Electronic address: kersti.theander@kau.se.
Kersti
K
Theander
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden; Department of Nursing, Hedmark University College, Hedmark, Norway. Electronic address: bodil.wilde@kau.se.
Bodil
B
Wilde-Larsson
Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 05 Uppsala, Sweden; Gävle University, SE-801 76 Gävle, Sweden. Electronic address: marianne.carlsson@pubcare.uu.se.
Marianne
M
Carlsson
Unit of Clinical Nursing Research, Immunotherapy and Immunology, Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ann.gardulf@ki.se.
Ann
A
Gardulf
D006801:Humans; D011361:Professional Competence; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
Graduate nurses; Nurses' competence; Nursing education; Nursing students; Professional nursing; Psychometric properties; Quality of care; Safety in healthcare; Scale development; Validation