Development and validation of a core competency evaluation scale for otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (ENT-HNS) nurse specialists

To develop a self-perceived core competency evaluation scale for otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (ENT-HNS) nurse specialists and test its reliability and validity. Based on theoretical analysis, a literature review, and semi-structured interviews, the item pool was established. A preliminary draft of the scale was formed through two rounds of Delphi expert consultations and a pilot test. From August to October 2024, 450 ENT-HNS nurse specialists from 25 provinces in China were selected using convenience sampling for a formal survey to screen items and test reliability and validity. The final version of the scale contains 30 items in four dimensions: clinical nursing, teaching and management, research and innovation, and professional qualities. The authority coefficients of the two rounds of experts were 0.920 and 0.925, respectively, and the Kendall’s W coefficient was 0.219 and 0.181, respectively (all P < 0.001). After three exploratory factor analyses (EFAs), four common factors were extracted, accounting for 74.543% of the cumulative variance. The results of the revised confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model were χ2/df = 2.416, RMSEA = 0.081, TLI = 0.934, IFI = 0.941, CFI = 0.941, and NFI = 0.904. The item-level content validity index of the scale was 0.846 to 1.00, and the scale-level content validity index was 0.919. The Cronbach’s α coefficient of the total scale was 0.981, the split-half reliability was 0.941, and the test-retest reliability was 0.995. The core competency evaluation scale for ENT-HNS nurse specialists has good reliability and acceptable validity and is suitable for assessing self-perceived competencies in this population.