Development and Evaluation of Korean Nurses’ Core Competency Scale (KNCCS)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Korean Nurses’ Core Competency Scale (KNCCS). Methods: This methodological research was conducted over two major steps. The first step involved developing a preliminary 70-item KNCCS based on an extensive literature review and the standards and criteria proposed by the Korean Accreditation of Nursing. The second step involved evaluating validity and reliability of the KNCCS. 528 newly graduated nurses recently employed in nine major hospitals were participated in this research for validation. Results: The final KNCCS consisted of 70 items. The exploratory factor analysis identified five subscales under which each item could be categorized: 1) human understanding and communication skills; 2) professional attitudes; 3) critical thinking and evaluation; 4) general clinical performance; and 5) specific clinical performance. Conclusion: The KNCCS shows good reliability and validity. However, the test of both criterion and construct validity were recommended further.