Chinese version of the nursing students' perception of instructor caring (C-NSPIC): assessment of reliability and validity.

BACKGROUND

The nursing students' perceptions of instructor caring (NSPIC) is an instrument to assess the influence of caring interactions between students and faculty on students' ability to care. However, the validity and reliability of the Chinese version has not yet been studied.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of NSPIC (C-NSPIC).

DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The study was performed in three Tertiary Grade A (top level in China) and teaching hospitals in Shanghai, China.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants of the study are nursing students during clinical practice.

METHODS

The English version of nursing students' perception of instructor caring scale was professionally translated into Chinese and a pilot test was undertaken to ensure the equivalence of meaning and cultural appropriateness. The content validity of the C-NSPIC was examined by a panel of eight experts, and test-retest was conducted to assess the item reliabilities of the scale. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit nursing students. A first sample (N=256) was recruited to explore the factorial structure of the C-NSPIC using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and a validation sample (N=358) was recruited to confirm the findings from the EFA using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). SPSS version 16.0 was used for the EFA and Amos 17.0 was used for the CFA.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the C-NSPIC was 0.933. The test-retest reliability was satisfactory, with the ICC scores for each item ranging from 0.603 to 0.962. The overall content validity index was 0.96. Five factors (control versus flexibility, supportive learning climate, confidence through caring, appreciation of life meaning and respectful sharing) were identified in EFA, which was consistent with that of the original English version, and were confirmed by CFA.

CONCLUSION

The C-NSPIC can serve as a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the nursing students' perception of instructor caring in China, which may help to improve the nursing students' caring ability in China.