Graduation Year

2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ed.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational Leadership

Major Professor

Johanna Lasonen, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Robert F. Dedrick, Ph.D.

Committee Member

William Blank, Ph.D.

Committee Member

William Young, Ed.D.

Keywords

Professional Nursing, Nurse Education, Graduate Nurse

Abstract

Nursing competence is a necessity as it affects public health, safety and welfare; however there are very few reliable and valid tools that measure nursing competence. The Nurse Competence Scale has been used in many different countries outside of the United States and is based on Benner’s Novice to Expert theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the content validity of the Nurse Competence Scale using a mixed methods approach. Descriptive statistics were used to report results of the frequency of use scale and the critical to practice scale. Nursing faculty indicate Prioritizing My Activities Flexibility According to Changing Situations in the Managing Situations category of the Nurse Competence Scale as most frequently used. Nursing faculty rated Acting Appropriate in Life Threatening Situations as most critical to practice. Based on the results from this study, there is evidence to support the content validity of the Nurse Competence Scale in the United States. Results may be used to assess students prior to National Council Licensure Examination and may further the discussion on how nursing competence is measured globally. Additional research is need on the use of the NCS in the United States.

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