The development and psychometric testing of a theory‐based instrument to evaluate nurses’ perception of clinical reasoning competence

Abstract Aim The purpose of the study was to develop and psychometrically test the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale. Background Clinical reasoning is an essential skill for providing safe and quality patient care. Identifying pre‐graduates’ and nurses’ needs and designing training courses to improve their clinical reasoning competence becomes a critical task. However, there is no instrument focusing on clinical reasoning in the nursing profession. Design Cross‐sectional design was used. This study included the development of the scale, a pilot study that preliminary tested the readability and reliability of the developed scale and a main study that implemented and tested the psychometric properties of the developed scale. Method The Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale was developed based on the Clinical Reasoning Model. The scale includes 15 items using a Likert five‐point scale. Data were collected from 2013–2014. Two hundred and fifty‐one participants comprising clinical nurses and nursing pre‐graduates completed and returned the questionnaires in the main study. The instrument was tested for internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Its validity was tested with content, construct and known‐groups validity. Results One factor emerged from the factor analysis. The known‐groups validity was confirmed. The Cronbach's alpha for the entire instrument was 0·9. Conclusion The reliability and validity of the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale were supported. The scale is a useful tool and can be easily administered for the self‐assessment of clinical reasoning competence of clinical nurses and future baccalaureate nursing graduates. Study limitations and further recommendations are discussed.