Abstract:

Background
Health care students’ perceived self-competence and confidence refers to their judgment about their own capabilities on patient intervention. This self-assessment process provides their professional practice and competence development. Although there are a few instruments to assess students’ self-competence and confidence especially in scenario-based simulation education, there is a lack of valid and reliable tool to assess Turkish health care students’ self-competence and confidence on patient interventions.

Aim
The aim of this methodological study was to develop and investigate the validity and reliability of the “Patient Intervention Self Confidence/Competence Scale” for health care students who had scenario-based simulation experience in Turkey.

Methods
Literature search was performed to find out items for assessment of health care students’ self confidence and competence on patient intervention. For content validity, seven experts examined the scale. After their recommendations, the final version of the scale was created. The number of items was 18 assessed with a five point scale. The study sample consisted of 205 medical students from one university in Turkey used simulation as a teaching strategy to develop medical students’ competence and confidence on patient interventions. Data was collected through Patient Intervention Self Confidence/Competence Scale between November-December 2011. Item-total correlation test, comparisons for upper and lower 27 % groups, exploratory factor analysis and Alpha coefficient were used for psychometric examination.

Results
According to item-total correlation test, correlation was found upper than 0.25 and statistically significant (p<0.01). Statistically significant difference was found between the groups consist of 55 persons (27%) who got the highest and the lowest points from the scale (p<0.01). Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of 0.86 indicated adequate sampling and Barlett Sphericity test showed correlation between the items (X2:2272,3, SD:153 P<0,01). Exploratory Factor Analysis identified 3 factors explaining 60.9% of total variances. The three factors were classified as clinical implementation (11 items), psychosocial support (4 items) and knowledge of health care system (3 items). All items had factor loadings more than 0.40. Cronbach’s α for the entire scale was 0.91, with subscales ranging from 0.80 to 0.94.

Conclusion
When all of these values were taken into account, the “Patient Intervention Self Confidence / Competence Scale” is found reliable and valid for measuring health care students’ self confidence and competence on patient interventions. The psychometric quality of the instrument proved satisfactory. The scale can be used after simulation experience to assess whether health care students have developed self confidence and competence on patient interventions.

Keywords:

Patient Intervention Self Confidence/Competence Scale, Reliability, Validity, Simulation education.