Development and validation of an instrument to measure scope of practice in school nurses

Abstract

AimsThe aim of the study was to develop and psychometrically test a new instrument to measure the scope of school nursing practice.DesignMethodological study.MethodsData were collected in Spring 2018. Frontline school nurses in the United States (N = 3099) completed the 39‐item Scope of School Nursing Practice Tool (SSNPT) with two domains (current practice and importance to practice). One half of sample data (N1 = 1521) were used for exploratory factor analysis, item analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and Spearman–Brown to estimate validity and reliability of the instrument. Sample data from the other half (N2 = 1578) were retained for future analysis.ResultsFactor analysis resulted in a stable four‐dimension solution: (A) Using the Nursing Process; (B) Applying Evidence to Improve Practice; (C) Connecting with Community; and (D) Leveraging the School and Family Team, accounting for 50.48% (current practice) and 53.31% (importance to practice) of total variance. Cronbach's alpha and Spearman–Brown ranged from .73 to .90 and .73 to .92, respectively. Item–total correlations ranged from .36 to .82.ConclusionInitial psychometric properties indicate the new SSNPT is valid and reliable to assess the scope of practice of frontline school nurses.ImpactSchool nurses play a key role in population health and frequently serve as the sole provider of healthcare in schools worldwide. However, variability in school nursing practice affects the health, safety and educational outcomes of children and youth. No instrument exists that measures the scope of practice of school nurses. Frontline school nurses can use the SSNPT to assess practice, school nurse administrators can use the tool for resource utilization and school nurse researchers can use the tool to examine school nursing practices’ impact on student/community health and academic outcomes. The SSNPT may provide a template for others who wish to examine specialty nursing scope of practice.

The Role of the School Nurse in the United States, United Kingdom, and Italy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

“…Many school nurses are supervised by non-nursing staff, who may have limited insight into the role and competencies of the nurse (Supervision and Evaluation of the School Nurse, 2020). A tool to measure school nursing practice called "the Scope of Section Nursing Practice Tool" was developed in 2021 form White and colleagues (White et al, 2021) and can be used by nurses to self-assess, identify gaps in practice, promote the optimal practice, and examine student relationships.…”

Development and psychometric analysis: Fluoride varnish parent attitude, belief scale1

“…After the KMO and Bartlett test, the following method was used to evaluate factor loads. Factor loadings of <0.40 for an item or >0.40 for multiple factors were excluded from analysis, starting with the item with the lowest factor loading, and analyses were repeated each time (Field, 2013; White et al., 2021). The structure revealed by EFA was evaluated by CFA.…”

Assessing the Reliability and Validity of the Spanish Version of the Actual Scope of Nursing Practice Scale

“…These standards serve to define nursing professional development and are also helpful in identifying a novice nurse’s path to becoming an expert nurse [ 8 ]. Other questionnaires have been identified that establish the nurses’ scope of practice from a nursing specialty perspective; for example, in cardiology nursing [ 2 ] and also the “Scope of School Nursing Practice Tool” for school nurses [ 9 ]. From a general perspective of the scope of nursing practice, other scales such as the “Implementation of scope of practice” [ 10 ] or “Scope-OAU” [ 11 ] have been used in studies in Israel and Australia, respectively.…”