Development and psychometric evaluation of the community care competency scale in multi‐ethnic undergraduate nursing students

Preparing healthcare students for community care has been emphasised due to the global ageing population. An instrument to measure students' community care competency is lacking. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new scale known as Community Care Competency Scale (CCCS) for measuring nursing students' community care competency. CCCS consists of 21 items derived from literature review and community care standards. Content validity was established through a panel of seven experts in the areas of knowledge with a content validity index of 0.96. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in a university in Singapore by using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire to nursing students, and obtained a response rate of 87% (n = 283). Psychometric properties were explored using convergent and known-group validity testing, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach's alpha test. The results showed good convergent and known-group validity. EFA and CFA showed a coherent construct of the 21 items of CCCS in a one-factor model. The Cronbach's alpha of 0.94 indicated excellent internal consistency. The CCCS is a valid, reliable and easy-to-administer instrument that measures community care competency. This instrument will contribute to the empirical body of knowledge on evaluating the effectiveness of community care educational programmes for nursing students to prepare future healthcare professionals.