A Psychometric Evaluation of the Nurse Practitioner Self-efficacy Scale

Abstract

OBJECTIVE In this study, a psychometric evaluation of the Nurse Practitioner Self-efficacy Scale (NPSES) was conducted. BACKGROUND Self-efficacy is an important concept for optimal nurse practitioner (NP) performance and retention. The NPSES may serve as a valuable instrument to support NP practice. METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated the NPSES responses from 230 NPs. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, and t tests were used to analyze the results. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis revealed acceptable goodness of fit for an 8-factor model (root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.05, comparative fit index = 0.97, Tucker Lewis index = 0.96). Reliability estimates resulted in acceptable internal consistency (coefficient α = 0.94). The t tests comparing more and less experienced NPs resulted in higher scores in more experienced NPs. CONCLUSION This validation study showed that the NPSES is a psychometrically-sound instrument to assess NP self-efficacy. The NPSES is a cost-effective and convenient method to measure self-efficacy, a valuable concept for NP practice.