title: Psychometric properties of an instrument to measure facilitators and barriers to nurses' participation in continuing education programs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Continuing education programs are one of the professional principles in health-related disciplines, including nursing. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument measuring facilitators and barriers to nurses' participation in continuing education programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the first phase, the items generated for the instrument were drawn from a comprehensive literature review along with a polling of experts. Then the psychometric properties were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A Scale-Level Content Validity Index of 0.90 for the primary instrument with 36 items was obtained. The factor structure of inventory was identified by undertaking a Principal Component Analysis in a sample of 361 nurses. Three factors were extracted with a total variance account of 62.67%. Reliability was demonstrated with Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.92. Consistency of instrument was established with test-retest reliability (Intra Cluster Correlation = 0.93, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major focus of this study was to develop a locally sensitive instrument to assess the facilitators and barriers to Iranian nurses' participation in continuing education programs.
authors.forename: Zeinab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hamzehgardeshi
authors.affiliation: Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences,Sari,Iran. zshahhosseini@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shahhosseini
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results