Development of the competency assessment scale for clinical nursing teachers: Results of a Delphi study and validation

Highly competent clinical faculty is a prerequisite for graduating competent nurses, and it is very important to explore the comprehensive ability and post competence of clinical nursing teachers (CNT). To construct the competency evaluation elements of clinical nursing teachers and test the reliability and validity of the scale. A Delphi study. 34 Grade A tertiary hospitals and eight colleges and universities in China, covering 14 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government. Modified Delphi method was used in this study. Between August 2018 and May 2019, 40 experts participated in three rounds of consultation to build the CNT competency assessment scale. The expert coordination coefficient (W) and the coefficient of variation (CV) were used to examine the level of coordination and concentration of expert advice. Then, the reliability and validity of the scale were tested. Using the convenient sampling method, a total of 190 questionnaires were distributed to nursing teachers, and 187 were recovered. Cronbach's α coefficient was used to evaluate the reliability of the scale. Validity was evaluated using the content validity index. After the three rounds of expert consultation, the questionnaire contained five dimensions and 44 elements. After expert inquiry, the total coefficient of variation index (CVI) value of the scale was 0.992, and the CVI of each item was 0.95–1.00. The Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient was 0.984. By comparing the results of the two surveys 2 months apart, the Pearson correlation coefficient was tested, and the retest reliability was 0.852. The Cronbach's α of the scale was 0.962, indicating excellent internal consistency. The scale of clinical nursing teachers' competence has high reliability and validity. This tool could be widely used to evaluate and improve nursing teaching.