Developing and validating the Chinese nursing core competence scale for tertiary hospital nurses based on evolving health care needs in China
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Evolving healthcare paradigms and shifting population health needs necessitate the advancement of nurses' core competencies. Under China's new-era health development strategy, there is an urgent demand to establish a culturally adapted, contemporary competency assessment framework. METHODS: This three-phase study involved: (1) Constructing a preliminary competency framework through systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews; (2) Refining dimensions via two-round Delphi consultations; (3) Validating the Chinese Nursing Core Competence Scale (CNCCS) with data from 1,415 nurses across seven geographical regions (Nov 2022-May 2023), assessing validity through content/structure/criterion-related validation and reliability via internal consistency/test-retest analysis. RESULTS: The Delphi process yielded an 8-dimension, 96-item framework. Exploratory factor analysis retained 62 items across 8 factors explaining 76.106% variance. Confirmatory analysis demonstrated good model fit (χ²/df = 3.376, TLI = 0.924, CFI = 0.929, RMSEA = 0.054, SRMR = 0.078). The scale exhibited acceptable reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.885, ICC = 0.958), meeting psychometric standards. CONCLUSION: The CNCCS comprises 8 dimensions with 62 items, demonstrating robust reliability and validity. Grounded in China's unique healthcare context while addressing global nursing challenges, this instrument provides a scientific foundation for competency evaluation and tiered training programs, offering insights for worldwide nursing competence system development. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Source: BMC Nursing
Authors: Meihan Chen, Xiaonan Li, Aiping Wang, Baosen Zhou
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,090
OpenAlex ID: W4411904491