The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of nurses’ self-concept questionnaire

AIM: To examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of nurses' self-concept questionnaire. BACKGROUND: Nurses' self-concept is important to alleviate the current shortage of nurses. Nurses' self-concept questionnaire is an effective instrument to measure nurses' self-perception of professional competencies. However, the psychometric properties of the Chinese version have not been tested. METHODS: A two-stage research design was used in this study. At Stage 1347 registered nurses were recruited to establish the psychometric properties of the Chinese version. At Stage 2, a confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the extracted factor structure from Stage 1 with 1017 respondents as a sample. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the Chinese version was 0.95 and the test-retest reliability was 0.83. The exploratory factor analysis extracted six dimensions. The findings at Stage 2 showed an acceptable model fit and discriminant validity. The Chinese version was a significant predictor of Maslach Burnout Inventory (β = -0.58; P = 0.00). CONCLUSIONS: This study verified the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of nurses' self-concept questionnaire. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The Chinese version of nurses' self-concept questionnaire will facilitate the evaluation of professional self-concept among nurses and help to develop the individualized self-concept strategies.