Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Professional Integration Factors Retention Strategies Survey

Abstract

Background and PurposeNursing students experience higher attrition rates than average college students due to the academic rigor of nursing programs. This study examined psychometric properties of the Professional Integration Factors Retention Strategies Survey (PIF-RSS), which measured constructs of faculty advisement and helpfulness, professional events, memberships, encouragement by friends in class, peer mentoring-tutoring, and enrichment programs.MethodsThe PIF-RSS survey was distributed to deans, directors, and program coordinators of traditional Bachelor's in Nursing programs.ResultsFollowing exploratory factor analysis, 47 items aligned within a 5-factor solution were retained. Reliability of the total instrument was .90.ConclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of the PIF-RSS instrument. Additional studies are recommended to further examine instrument psychometric properties for different program types and populations.