title: An exploration of the structure of mentors' behavior in nursing education using exploratory factor analysis and Mokken scale analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To understand nursing students' expectation from their mentors and assess mentors' performance, a scale of mentors' behavior was developed based on literature review and focus group in China.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to explore the structure of mentors' behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from nursing students in three hospitals in southwest China in 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 669 pre-registered nursing students in their final year clinical learning participated in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory factor analysis and Mokken scale analysis was employed to explore the structure and hierarchical property of mentors' behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three dimensions (professional development, facilitating learning and psychosocial support) were identified by factor analysis and confirmed by Mokken scaling analysis. The three sub-scales showed internal consistency reliability from 87% to 91%, and moderate to strong precision in ordering students' expectation about mentors' behavior and a small Mokken scale showing hierarchy was identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some insight into the structure of mentoring in nursing education has been obtained and a scale which could be used in the study of mentoring and in the preparation of mentors has been developed.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, 646000, China. Electronic address: chen_yanhua25@163.com.
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The University of Hull, HU6 7RX, UK. Electronic address: r.watson@hull.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: The University of Hull, HU6 7RX, UK. Electronic address: a.hilton@hull.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hilton
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013192:Staff Development; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Exploratory factor analysis; Mentors' behavior; Mokken scale analysis; Nursing