With my doctorate, I am pursuing the long-term goal of establishing myself as a recognized expert in the field of public health nursing. The doctorate is an important step on this path, as it enables me to research complex issues and further deepen my specialist knowledge. I would also like to make a substantial contribution to scientific progress in my field with my doctoral project.
In the following, I will explain the relevance of my doctoral project, state my objective, describe the methodological approach and the expected results. Finally, you will receive an overview of the current status.
Official website of my doctoral project: www.coretool.info/en
Working title
Competencies in disaster nursing: development and psychometric evaluation of a self-assessment scale for nurses (COREtool)
Rationale
Preparing nurses for their diverse and demanding tasks in emergencies, crises and disasters is becoming increasingly important. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has therefore defined core competencies in disaster nursing which are based on a performance-related understanding of competence. Every nurse with a professional license should at least reach level 1 of these competencies. How nurses in Germany currently assess their own level of competence in disaster nursing is largely unknown. In order to close this knowledge gap, a self-assessment scale suitable for everyday use is needed. This scale should be conceptually based on the ICN core competencies and at the same time meet high scientific quality criteria.
Objective
The objective of the research is the theory-based development, testing and evaluation of a German-language and easy-to-use multi-item scale for self-assessment by nurses that is oriented towards the ICN core competencies in disaster nursing from 2019.
Methods
The methodological approach is based on the established principles and phases of constructing, testing and validating psychometric measurement instruments. (1) First, a systematic literature review on the state of research and existing self assessment scales on the topic is compiled. This forms the basis for the operationalization and definition of items by researchers and experts. (2) This is followed by cognitive interviews to qualitatively test the comprehensibility of the items. (3) In a pilot study, the preliminary test version of the instrument is empirically tested (pre-test). (4) Finally, the multi-item scale developed in this way will be evaluated on the basis of standard psychometric quality criteria on a sample of nurses in university hospitals, the size of which is yet to be determined.
Expected results
On the one hand, the development of a multi-item scale suitable for everyday use is expected to be of practical benefit. The determination of the self-assessed level of competence should, among other things, enable the development and implementation of needs-based preparatory measures. On the other hand, a scientific benefit is aimed for. The theory-based development of a self-assessment instrument of high scientific quality will contribute to the international nursing and educational science discourse on the dissemination and measurement of core competencies in disaster nursing.
Current status
06/2024 – present: Systematic Review
04/2024 – 05/2024: Registration
04/2023 – 03/2024: Research proposal