Development and validation of a core competency scale for nursing internship supervisors

Background Clinical practicums are a crucial part of nursing education wherein nursing internship supervisors (NIS) play a vital role in facilitating hands-on experience. However, many NIS start their teaching roles without adequate educational training, despite the importance of this task. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and validate a reliable and credible core competency scale for NIS.Methods We used the framework from the Academy of Medical Educators for the training of NIS in healthcare. We combined a literature review, theory-based inquiry, qualitative interviews, and expert consultation to create the initial scale. The final scale underwent comprehensive evaluation by 653 NIS and 653 nursing internship students from three leading hospitals in Luzhou, Sichuan Province, resulting in a total of 1306 participants.Results The study produced the Core Competency Scale for NIS, a refined instrument covering six dimensions (professional socialized mentoring capacity, clinical teaching competencies, student counseling communication and coordination skills, nursing process competencies, curriculum design capacity, clinical problem-solving skills) and 39 items. The scale showed a content validity index of 0.98 and strong criterion-related validity, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.73 (p < 0.01) against the Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Instrument scale. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.973 to 0.990, indicating high reliability and validity.Conclusion The Core Competency Scale for NIS demonstrates robust reliability and validity, serving as a valuable tool for assessing the core competencies of nursing instructors. It provides a strong foundation for the development and application of training programs tailored to enhance the skills of nursing faculty in the clinical setting.