Self-efficacy in clinical performance scale: A psychometric validity study with nursing students

AIM: To translate the Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance scale into Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its psychometric properties. BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy is key to academic performance, supporting the growth of clinical and personal skills. Promoting self-efficacy in nursing students requires educational strategies that enhance both confidence and competence, along with effective tools to measure and deepen understanding of self-efficacy. DESIGN: This research used a cross-sectional study design, collecting data from undergraduate nursing students at public and private universities in Brazil during 2022 and 2023. Data from 375 students with clinical practice experience were used for psychometric testing. Of these participants, 45 completed a test-retest. METHODS: The Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance scale was translated and evaluated in six steps: forward translation, forward translation synthesis, backward translation, backward translation synthesis, cognitive debriefing and psychometric testing. The psychometric properties of the translated instrument were investigated using confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, composite reliability and test-retest analyses. RESULTS: The translated instrument proved acceptable. In the confirmatory factor analysis, fit indices demonstrated an excellent model fit. The Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega and composite reliability values at the latent factor levels ranged from .93 to.98, indicating good internal consistency. Test-retest analyses indicated good to excellent test-retest reliability in all the latent factors, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.852 to 0.924. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance scale offers potential as a useful instrument to assess the self-efficacy of nursing students in clinical practice in nursing education.