Review Article

Systematic Review and Psychometric Properties Analysis of First-, Middle-, and Top-Level Nurse Manager’s Core Competencies Instruments

Table 2

Characteristics and measurement properties of the competency assessment instruments.

Authors, year, countryInstrument/structureSampleValidityReliability

Wang et al., 2022 China [22]Competency Elements for Nurse Managers of Tertiary General Hospitals-Chinese
22 items
5-point Likert scale
4 domains: Leadership and management ability, personal traits, professional quality, and professional ability
n = 518
Nurse managers:
(i) Junior = 37
(ii) Middle = 316
(iii) Subsenior = 148
(iv) Senior = 17
Content validity: ECVI (expected cross-validity index) = 3.314
Face validity: pilot test on 136 subjects
Structural validity: PCA with varimax rotation: 4 factors explaining 62.21% of the variance
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.745–0.885

Collins et al., 2017 USA [23]NICA-NL-English
26 items
5-point Likert scale
6 domains: strategic implementation, advanced information and education, executive planning, ethical and legal concepts, information systems concepts, and requirements and system selection
n = 357
(i) Nurse manager = 74
(ii) Director = 103
(iii) Chief nursing officer = 38
(iv) Other = 142
Content validity: CVI = 0.96–1
Face validity: 3-round Delphi study on 101 subjects
Structural validity: PAF with promax rotation: 6-factors
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.81–0.96

Chase, 2010 USA [5]Chase Nurse Manager
Competency Instrument-English
53 items
4-point Likert scale
5 domains: constructs, technical, human, conceptual, leadership, and financial management
n = 81 American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) membersContent and face validity: a panel of 53 experts
Structural validity: PCA with varimax rotation: 5 factors explaining 57.2% of the variance
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.909
Test-retest: 2 weeks apart with 23 NMs (r = 0.88)

Donaher et al., 2007 USA [24]HCCI-English
61 items
4-point Likert scale
5 domains: developing self, recruiting, developing others, utilising, and retaining
n = 99
(i) First-line = 53
(ii) Middle = 45
Content validity: CVI = 1.0
Face validity: a panel of 4 experts
Structural validity: PCA with promax rotation: 3 factors explaining 68.87% of the variance
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.84–0.89

Gunawan et al., 2019 Indonesia [25]I-FLNMMCS-Indonesian and English
43 items
5-point Likert scale
7 domains: leadership, facilitating spiritual nursing care, self-management, staffing and professional development, informatics, financial management, and applying quality care improvement
n = 300 first-lineContent validity: CVI = 0.859
Face validity: a panel of 7 experts and a pilot test on 17 subjects
Structural validity: PCA with varimax rotation: 7 factors explaining 51.37% of the variance
Cross-cultural validity: forward-backward translation method (CVI from 0.83 to 1)
Hypothesis testing: (r = 0.321–0.687)
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.955

DeOnna, 2006 USA [26]NMCI-English
93 items
5-point Likert scale
11 domains: promotes staff retention and recruitment, facilitates staff development, performs supervisory responsibilities, ensures patient safety and quality care, conducts daily unit operations, manages fiscal planning, facilitates interpersonal, group, and organisational communication, leads quality improvement initiatives, promotes professional practice model, and develops self
n = 527
(i) First-line = 309
(ii) Middle = 159
(iii) Executive = 48
Content validity: CVI = 1.0
Face validity: a panel of 7 experts
Structural validity: PCA: 3 factors explained 68.87% of the variance
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.96

Moghaddam et al., 2019 Iran [27]Questionnaire for Head Nurses’ Managerial Competencies-Iranian
78 items
5-point Likert scale
4 domains: planning, organising, leadership, and control
n = 30 head nursesContent validity: CVI = 0.7–0.79
Face validity: 2-round Delphi study on 16 experts and a pilot test on 30 subjects
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.93

Tongmuangtunyatep et al., 2015 Thailandia [28]CASHN-Thailandese
52 items
5-point Likert scale
5 domains: leadership, healthcare environment management, policy implementation and communication, management, and professional ethics
n = 614 head nursesContent validity: CVI = 0.94
Face validity: a panel of 6 experts and a pilot test on 30 subjects
Structural validity: PCA with oblique rotation: 3 factors explained ≥60% of the variance
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.93–0.96

Shuman et al., 2017 USA [29]Nurse Manager EBP Competency Scale-English
16 items
3-point Likert scale
The total score is calculated by summing scores for all 16 items and then dividing by 16
2 domains: EBP knowledge and EBP activity
n = 83 nurse managersFace validity: a panel of 8 experts and a pilot test on 4 subjects
Structural validity: PAF with promax rotation: 2-factors
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.95

Rosenfeld et al., 2012 USA [30]Home Healthcare Nurse Manager Assessment Tool-English
38 items
5-point BARS scale
5 domains: leadership, problem-solving, planning and organisation, coaching, and aligning performance for success
n = 57 supervisors
(i) 31 directors
(ii) 9 administrators
(iii) 8 managers
(iv) 9 others
n = 154
(i) 123 manager
(ii) 17 coordinators
(iii) 10 specialists
(iv) 4 others
Face validity: pilot test
Structural validity: PCA with varimax rotation: 5 factors explained 66.9% of the variance
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s α = 0.866–0.948

NICA-NL, Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment for the Nurse Leader; NMCCQ, Nursing Manager Communication Competency Questionnaire; NMLMC, Nurse Managers Leadership and Management Competencies Scale; HCCI, Human Capital Competencies Inventory; I-FLNMMCS, Indonesian First-Line Nurse Managers’ Managerial Competence Scale; LaMI, Leadership and Management Inventory; NMCI, Chase Nurse Manager Competency Instrument; CASHN, Competency Assessment Scale for Head Nurses.